1917] ANIMAL PEODUCTION. 171' 



Corn plats hogged down in 1915 produced a gain of 212 lbs. of pork, live 

 weight, per acre, as comparetl with 1,052 lbs. in 1914, 1,008 lbs. in 1913, and 

 628 lbs. in 1912. The low gains in 1915 were due to the fact that the corn 

 plats were severely damaged by hail. 



[Pasturing alfalfa and corn with hogs], B. Aune {U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. 

 Plant Indus., V,^ork Belle Fourche Expt. Fann, 1D15, pp. 11-14). — Continuing 

 experiments previously noted (E. S. R., 33, p. 871), one lot of fall pigs grazing 

 on alfalfa, and also fed during the pasture season 4,787 lbs. of corn per acre 

 of alfalfa, gave a net return per acre in 1915 of $60.32, Another lot of pigs, 

 fed 4,970 lbs. of corn per acre of alfalfa, gave a net return of $62.97 per acre 

 of alfalfa grazed. In these two tests it took 2.36 lbs. of corn to produce 1 lb. 

 of gain. The corn was charged at $1.70 per 100 lbs., and a value of 7 cts. 

 per pound was given to the pigs. 



In hogging down corn, one plat with an estimated yield of 40.6 bu. of 

 corn per acre produced pork at the rate of 548 lbs. live weight per acre. 

 Another plat with an estimated yield of 34 bu. of corn per acre produced pork 

 at the rate of 451 lbs. live weight per acre. 



[Pasturing alfalfa and corn with hogs], D. Haxsf.n (U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. 

 Plant Indus., Work Huntley Expt. Farm, 1015, pp. 9-11, fig. 1). — Continuing 

 previous experiments (E. S. R., 33, p. 429), hogs pastured on alfalfa in 1915 

 gave a return of $75.88 per acre during the pasturing season, an equivalent 

 of $10.84 per ton for the alfalfa hay crop. In this test the hogs were given 

 a supplemental ration of 2 lbs. of corn per 100 lbs. of live weight. 



Corn with an estimated yield of 52.41 bu. per acre when hogged down 

 produced 864 lbs. of pork, live weight, per acre. The hogs consumed 3.4 lbs. 

 of corn per pound of gain and made an average daily gain per head of 2.16 lbs. 



[Feeding experiments with pigs], J. I. Thompson {California Sta. Rpt. 

 1916, p. 55). — In experiments in which wheat shorts, coconut meal, tankage, 

 and cull lieans were fed in conjunction with alfalfa pasture, self-feeders proved 

 superior to hand-feeding. Coconut meal was an economical supplement to 

 barley, but produced severe scouring when fed in considerable amounts. 

 Cooked culled beans produced cheap gains, but a soft low-dressing product. 



In a test in which the effects of feeding raisins to swine were studied 3 lots 

 of 8 5-months' old pigs were fed raisins, raisins and barley, or barley alone, 

 respectively, alfalfa meal being fed, in addition, to each lot. When constitut- 

 ing the entire concentrated part of the ration, raisins prodiiced slow gains 

 and considerable scouring resulted. \YIien bai-ley and raisins were fed in equal 

 parts the raisins showed nearly the same feeding value as barley. 



The physiological effect upon work horses of alfalfa hay cut at diffei*eut 

 stages of growth {Kansas Sta. Rpt. 1915, pp. 16, It). — This is a brief report 

 of one year's work in an investigation undertaken in 1914 to determine (1) the 

 effect upon stand and yield when alfalfa is harvested at different stages of 

 growth; (2) the variation in the amount of total nutrients and fertility ele- 

 ments in the hay cut at different stages of growth; and (3) the physiological 

 effect upon horses fed the different alfalfa hays. 



The largest yield was obtained from the alfalfa cut at the time of bud 

 formation, and each successive stage gave a smaller yield. No effect on the 

 stand was noticed this first year. The alfalfa cut in the bud stage had the 

 largest percentage of ash and crude protein and the smallest percentage of 

 crude fiber and nitrogen-free extract ; the first two decreased in each successive 

 stage, and the last two increased. It also gave the largest total yield of all 

 nutrients per acre. It had the largest percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and 

 potassium, and all these decreased in the successive stages. The alfalfa hay 

 76601^—17 6 



