ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 267 



Using 10 lots of 12 to 30 pigs, 3 tests were made to compare varying amounts 

 of grain (corn alone or with rye or shorts) as a supplement for alfalfa pastur- 

 age. The feeding periods varied from 63 to 119 days in length. The average 

 daily gain ranged fi-om 0.28 lb. on 0.5 lb. of corn per 100 lbs. live weight to 

 1.08 lbs. per bead per day on a full ration of corn with rye during the latter 

 part of the period. The greatest range in grain eaten per pound of gain, 1.21 

 to 3.30 lbs., and in average daily profit per pig, 1.3 to 3.0 cts., respectively, were 

 also noted with these lots. 



The relative merits of long and short feeding were tested by continuing 

 one of the lots on the light grain ration (3 lbs. per 100 lbs. live weight) until 

 the whole period covered 250 days. The average daily gain was 0.08 lb., the 

 grain eaten per pound of gain 3.88 lbs., and the daily profit per pig 2.5 cts. 



"A light grain ration is not the most economical for growing pigs, unless under 

 peculiar circumstances, when alfalfa is al)undant, grain very high in price, and 

 market conditions warrant holding the hogs. It seems probable that 2 or more 

 pounds of corn daily per each hundredweight of hogs is more profitable than 

 a lighter ration. 



" The cost of gain is not a reliable criterion of profit. A cheap gain may 

 be so slow as to be unprofitable. Time, labor, and investment should be con- 

 sidered when reckoning profits. A full grain ration, though making the gain 

 more costly, usually gives greater profits, because of the larger amount of busi- 

 ness transacted in a given time with a given number of hogs." 



Four tests covering .30 to 95 days were made with 7 lots of 10 to 29 pigs each 

 to study different methods of feeding corn with alfalfa pasturage. On the 

 alfalfa alone the average daily gain was 0.49 lb. per head and on corn alone 

 in a dry feed lot 2.55 lbs., 4.31 lbs. of grain being required per pound of gain 

 and the daily profit per pig being 7 cts. On corn and pasturage combined the 

 greatest gain, 2.83 lbs. per head per day, was noted with one of the lots fed 

 3 lbs. of corn per 100 lbs. live weight, the grain eaten per pound of gain being 

 3.01 lbs. and the daily profit per ])ig 10 cts. A lot on the same kind of ration 

 and one on a full corn ration with alfalfa each made an average daily gain 

 «tf 1.0 lbs. per head. 



" Matiu'e hogs thin in .flesh may be expected to gain about ^ lt>- per head daily 

 on alfalfa without grain. 



"Mature hogs, fed corn in a dry lot while being fattened, required nearly 

 one-half more grain to produce 100 lbs. gain, and gave a daily profit of 3 cts. 

 less per hog than similar hogs running on alfalfa palsture." 



When wet ground corn and barley were fed alone, with whole alfalfa hay, 

 and mixed with cut alfalfa hay in a 91-day test with lots of 10 pigs each, the 

 smallest gain, 1.07 lbs. per pig per day, was noted with barley and cut alfalfa 

 3 :1, and the largest gains, 1.2G lbs. and 1.27 lbs., with corn and cut alfalfa 3 :1 

 and corn and alfalfa hay, respectively. The grain eaten per pound of gain 

 ranged from 4.2 lbs. on the corn and cut alfalfa ration to 5.73 lbs. on barley 

 .'done, and the daily profit per pig from 2.2 cts. on the last-mentioned ration to 

 3.6 cts. on the corn and cut alfalfa 3 :1. 



In a comparison of corn, emmer, and barley with alfalfa hay, which was 

 made with 3 lots of 20 pigs and covered 94 days, the average daily gains on the 

 ■". grains were 1.02. 0.77, and O.Sl lbs. per head, respectively. With corn alone 

 and with emmer and with barley 1 :1, the average daily gains were 1.53, 1.35, 

 and 1.45 lbs., respectively. Each lot contained 12 pigs and the test covered 

 42 days. Considering both the tests the grain eaten per pound of gain ranged 

 from 4.62 lbs. with corn and barley to 6.18 lbs. with emmer, and the daily 



