FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 579 



569.9 lbs. of corn meal and ground cowpeas, or 5.28 lbs. of the mixture 

 per pound of gain. The nutritive ratio of the ration fed to lot 1 was 

 1 : 9. 7 and of lot 2, 1 : 0.2. 



It was planned to duplicate this test, comparing cowpea pasture 

 with corn meal with 2 Essex sows with litters of 6 and 7 pigs, respec- 

 tively. The test was discontinued after 3 weeks owing to the death of 

 one of the sows. During this time the sow and G pigs fed corn in addi- 

 tion to cowpea pasturage gained 29.9 lbs., while the sow and 7 pigs fed 

 corn alone lost 9 lbs. 



Sweet potatoes vs. corn meal (pp. 126-129). — The 6 Poland-China pigs 

 used in the first test recorded above were divided into 2 equal lots 

 weighing 191.5 lbs. and 189.2 lbs., respectively. After a prelimi- 

 nary period of 1 week the test began November 4 and covered 2 

 periods of 28 days each. During the first period lot 1 was fed sweet 

 potatoes and ground peas, 3: 1, and lot 2 was fed corn meal and cow- 

 peas 1:1. Both lots were given all they would eat. Owing to the 

 different character of the rations it was not found possible to give them 

 the same amount of dry matter. During the second period the rations 

 were reversed. During the whole test the pigs fed sweet potatoes and 

 cowpeas gained 65.8 lbs., consuming 877.7 lbs. of food, or 13.34: lbs. 

 (equivalent to 6 lbs. dry matter) per pound of gain. The pigs fed corn 

 meal and cowpeas gained 130.2 lbs., consuming 520.8 lbs. of food, or 4 

 lbs. (equivalent to 3.6 lbs. dry matter) per pound of gain. The author 

 attributes the poor gains made on sweet potatoes to the fact that the 

 pigs could not eat a sufficient amount of the bulky ration, and believes 

 that more favorable returns would have been obtained witli a ration of 

 equal parts of sweet potatoes and cowpeas. It was calculated that the 

 sweet potatoes returned only 13 cts. per bushel. 



"This does not imply that sweet potatoes can not be profitably employed as food 

 for hogs; but a profit is possible only by saving the expense of harvesting, the 

 heaviest single item of expense in sweet-potato culture. If the hogs do the rooting, 

 the sweet potato is doubtless a cheaper food than corn on some sandy soils that 

 yield 10 to 15 times as many bushels of sweet potatoes as of corn. The vines are 

 also valuable as food for hogs. 



"The value of sweet potatoes will be enhanced by feeding with them a liberal 

 allowance of cowpeas or peanuts, which supply the nitrogenous material in which 

 the sweet potato is deficient." 



The pigs used in the various tests were slaughtered and the total 

 dressed weight was recorded, as well as the ratio of the lungs, heart, 

 liver, spleen, kidneys, etc., to the total weight. 



The author discusses the effect of cowpeas and peanuts on the quality 

 of pork. The average melting point of leaf and body lard from pigs 

 fed corn meal and cowpeas was 45.3° C. ; from pigs fed corn alone, 

 43.7°; from pigs fed peanuts and corn, 40.5°, and from pigs fed peanuts 

 alone, 24.5°. 



The author remarks that it is a common practice among farmers when 

 pigs have been fed peanuts, sweet potatoes, and acorns to give them 



