578 



till the end of the second mcuth of the trial. After that the same qiian- 

 tity of skim-milk (5 quarts daily), and a mixture of four weight parts of 

 barley meal and one each of gluten meal and wheat bran were fed. 

 During the first period (live weight 20' to 90 pounds) the nutritive ratio 

 averaged 1: 2.95; dnring the second (live weight 90 to 130 pounds), 

 1: 4.20; and during the third (live weight 130-200 pounds) 1 : 4.61. 



The tabulated results show the avenige of the daily rations fed for 

 each pig, the total amount of food consumed, the total and net cost of 

 the same, the gains in live and dressed weight, dry matter consumed 

 per pound of dressed pork, and cost of same; a general summary for 

 the seven pigs ; and analyses of the skim-milk, barley meal, wheat bran, 

 and gluten meal with reference to fertilizing and food constituents. 

 The calculations of total cost of food are based on barley meal at $30, 

 wheat bran at $18.50, and gluten meal at $22 per ton ; and in calculat- 

 ing the net cost, 30 per cent was deducted from the total value of the 

 fertilizing constituents of the food. The total cost of the food for the 

 seven pigs was $57.20; the value of the manure (making the allowance 

 as stated above) is estimated at $10.08. As 959.8 pounds of dressed 

 pork were produced, the net cost of food was 4.29 cents per pound of 

 dressed pork ; or leaving the value of the manure obtainable out of the 

 calculation, as is often done in reiiorting feeding experiments, the cost of 

 food would be 5.97 cents per pound of dressed j^ork. This difference of 

 1.58 cents per pound of dressed pork indicates the importance of the 

 manurial factor in considering the profits of pig feeding. The dry mat- 

 ter consumed per pound of dressed pork varied in this experiment from 

 3.40 to 3.81 pounds, as compared with from 2.G1 to 3.17 pounds in the pre- 

 vious experiment, in which corn meal was fed in place of barley meal, 

 and which was made at the same season of the year. "The results 

 apparently pointed toward a higher nutritive elfect of the corn meal, 

 as compared with that of barley meal, under conditions like ours. The 

 final decision in this direction will be left to further trials." 



The author draws the following conclusions from the results of the 

 ten pig-feeding experiments made by him since 1884: 



(1) Begin as early as practicable, with a well-regnlated system of feediug. During 

 the moderate season, begin wlien the animals have reached from IS to 20 pounds in 

 live weight; in the colder seasons, when they weigh from 25 to 30 pounds. 



(2) The food for young pigs during their earlier stages of growth ought to be some- 

 whiit bulky, to promote the extension of their digestive organs, and to make them 

 thereafter good eaters. A liberal supply of skim-milk or buttermilk, with a period- 

 ical increase of corn meal, besrinning with 2 ounces of corn meal per quart of milk, 

 has given us highly satisfactory results. 



(3) Change the character of the diet at certain stages of growth from a rich nitrog- 

 enous diet to that of a wider ratio. * * " ]5egin, for instance, with 2 ounces of 

 corn meal to 1 quart of skim-milk ; when the .animal has reached from 60 to 70 pounds 

 use 4 ounces per quart; aud feed 6 ounces of meal per quart after its live weight 

 amounts to from 120 to 130 pounds. The superior feeding effect noticed in the case of 

 one and the same diet during the earlier stages of growth will not infrequently be 

 found to decrease seriously during later stages. * * » 



