ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 381 



"Barley alone gave larger gains than when comV)iiie(l with either oats or corn. 



" Barley and roots gave larger gains than Ixirley alone. 



"Cooked roots gave much better results than raw roots, but it is very probable 

 that the individuality of the animals had more to do with causing this difference 

 than the co< iking of the roots. 



"In the case of cooked roots, 1 lb. of grain proved equivalent to 5.9 lbs. of roots. 

 This is not nearly so high a value as many people place upon roots for feeding hogs; 

 but it corresponds very closely with the results of extensive Danish experiments. 



"A short experiment conducted under my direction by Mr. A. H. Crerar as a basis 

 for his third year thesis, indicated that a pound of mixed grain is equivalent to 5.78 

 lbs. of raw roots. This is almost identical with the relation l)etween cooked roots 

 and barley stated above, and indicates that the comparison of cooked and raw roots 

 is scarcely reliable. 



" Furtlier experiments with roots are in progress, and it is too soon to draw 

 conclusions." 



Wet vs. dry meal, G. E. Day {Ontario Agr. and Expt. Farm lipt. 1900, pp. 50,51). — 

 A comparison was made of the relative merits of wet and dry meal as a feed for 

 pigs with 2 lots of 4 animals each. In 7 weeks lot 1 fed wet wheat and barley meal 

 made an average daily gain per pig of 0.957 lb. and consumed 4.89 lbs. of meal per 

 poun<l of gain. On the same grains dry there was an average daily gain per pig of 

 1.037 lbs., the grain consumed per pound of gain being 4.52 lbs. 



Influence of food upon firmness of bacon, G. E. Day { Ontario Agr. Col. and 

 E.rpt. Farm Rj^t. 1900, pp. 52, 5.3). — Using the data ol)tained in the feeding experi- 

 ments reported above, the author discusses the influence of fo(jd upon the firmness 

 of bacon. The principal deductions follow: 



" Hogs which have had plenty of exercise and a mixed diet, or that have received 

 a reasonable allowance of dairy by-products and a mixed grain ration, until they are 

 over 100 lbs. live weight, can be finished on corn without injury- to the quality of 

 bacon. 



"Close confinement in pens from birth to time of marketing has a tendency to 

 injure the quality of bacon, though the effect is not always well marked. The rational 

 use of dairy by-products tends to produce bacon of excellent quality and seems to 

 compensate largely for lack of exercise. 



"Unthrifty, unfinished hogs, or those which have been kept on a mere mainte- 

 nance ration to keep them irom 1)ecoming too heavy wdiile holding for a rise in prices 

 or other reason, have a marked tendency to softness. Exclusive corn feeding during 

 a somewhat extended period has given very unsatisfactory gains and has produced 

 bacon of very soft, undesirable quality. The mixing of middlings with corn to the 

 extent of two-thirds of the ration at the commencement and one-third at the close of 

 the feeding period has not l)een successful in counteracting the bad effects of corn, 

 the bacon thus produced being soft and generally undesirable. Barley, to the extent 

 of at least half the ration, seems so have an influence in mitigating the effect of corn, 

 but further investigation is necessary along this line. Barley, either alone or in 

 conjunction with oats or middlings, has produced bacon of first-class quality. Peas 

 appear to have an influence similar to barley. So far as our work has gone, roots 

 have had no injurious effect upon the firnniess of l:)acon, but they are being made 

 the sul)ject of further investigation." 



Poultry experiments, W. P. Bkooks and H. 'SI. Tnom^os {^fa.'<.'^a(■]n(!irttf; Sta. Rpt. 

 1900, pp. 123-129). — "With a view to testing the conqjarative merits of feeding a mash 

 to i)oultry in the morning and in the evening, tests were made in l)otli winter and 

 summer with Plymoutli Kocks. Two lots, each containing 20 pullets and 2 cocks, 

 were used in each trial. In additif^n to the mash the fowls were fed meat scraps, and 

 in the winter caV)bage and clover also. In the winter test the fowls fed a mash in 

 the moi-ning laid 793 eggs in 6 mouths; those fed a mash in the evening laid 758 eggs. 



