438 



during the whole i^riod (19 weeks) 177 pounds, or 100 pounds for 726 

 pounds of corn meal consumed. ''At slaughtering time the carcasses 

 of the hogs fed on shorts bran showed the most lean meat, the excess 

 being about 17 per cent, as shown by chemical analyses for that portion 

 of the body surrounding the heart." 



Our investigations showed the following points in favor of the shorts-bran-corn- 

 fed hogs over those getting corn only : (1) a far more rapid growth ; (2) a much 

 more economical gain for food consumed; (3) much more blood in the body; (4) 

 larger livers ; (5) a larger proportion of lean meat or muscle to fat; (ti) a larger 

 proportion of ash to a given volume of bone; (7) somewhat stronger bones in pro- 

 portion to weight of body. 



Effects of food upon the carcass (pp. 31, 32). 



Having now completed four years of feeding trials, where especial reference was 

 had to the effects of food upon the carcass, we feel warranted in maintaining that the 

 kind of food supplied to young growing pigs has a very marked effect upon the 

 animal carcass; that foods rich in protein tend to build up strong muscular frames 

 and largo individuals, with ample blood and fully developed internal organs ; that 

 exclusive corn feeding with pigs, even after they have obtained a good start on 

 proper food, tends to dwarf the animal in size and prematurely fatten it ; that, owing 

 to the larger amount of ash contained, and perhaps for other causes, pigs receiving the 

 usual nitrogenous foods have stronger bones than those of pigs fed on corn, aud 

 that the bones of pigs fed on corn contain the least mineral matter. We have fur- 

 ther found that where growing pigs are fed exclusively on corn, the strength of the 

 bones and the quantity of mineral matter they contain can be greatly increased by 

 feeding mineral matter in the shape of hard- wood ashes or ground bone. * * * 



It appears plain to us that the excessive feeding of corn, with its deficiency in ash, 

 tends to repress the natural development of the muscles, reduces the blood aud some 

 of the internal organs of the body, and gives weak bones. Supplying nitrogenous 

 foods to growing pigs so nourishes the body that the muscles and internal organs are 

 developed to normal size, aud the blood is abundant. With these foods there is usu- 

 ally an abundant accompaniment of aah, which nourishes the bones, giving them their 

 normal strength. 



Effects of feeding hone meal and hardtvood ashes to hogs living exclu- 

 sively on corn (pp. 33-42).— For an account of these experiments see 

 Bulletin No. 25 of the station, or Experiment Station Record, Vol. II, 

 p. 301. In addition to the data given in the bulletin an appendix to the 

 report contains the weights of parts, weight of intestinal fat, aud length 

 of intestines and of body as observed at time of slaughtering. 



Cost of feeding pigs before and after weaning (pp. 42-52). — This exper- 

 iment is in continuation of one made in 1889, the object of which was 

 to observe the cost of the food consumed by pigs before and after 

 weaning. Each year the pigs from four sows were weighed as soon as 

 born and account was kept of all food consumed by the sows aud the 

 pigs. 



In 1889 the food given was skim-milk and a mixture of equal parts 

 of corn meal and wheat middlings. Three litters were fed all they 

 would eat of this ration, in addition to the mothers' milk; the fourth 

 was fed entirely on the dam's milk until weaned. 



In 1890 the food was as follows : lot 1, corn meal and niilk before wean- 



