478 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



[Vol. 35 



through a rinse of clear, warm water. The wool was dried to a constant 

 weight at a temperture of 150° F. both before and after scouring, to over- 

 come any differences in moisture content that might exist on different days. 



With respect to the effect of washing it was found that washed sheep pro- 

 duced 1.49 lbs. less grease wool per head when shorn April 12 and 2.64 lbs. 

 less per head when shorn June 1 than did unwashed sheep shorn on the same 

 dates. Washing the sheep had practically no effect on the amount of scoured 

 wool produced or on the rate of gain made by the sheep. Wool shorn June 

 1, both washed and unwashed, shrank more in scouring than did wool shorn 

 April 12. The data yielded by this experiment indicate that, in many cases 

 at least, not sufficient premium is paid for washed wool to cover the cost of 

 washing and the loss in weight of the wool. Since washing sheep does not im- 

 prove the quality of the wool fiber and does not diminish the cost of scouring, 

 the practice is not beneficial to the manufacturer. 



As regards early v. late shearing, washed sheep shorn April 12 produced 

 more grease wool than did washed sheep shorn June 1, while unwashed sheep 

 shorn April 12 produced less grease wool than did unwashed sheep shorn June 

 1. This indicates that between these two dates there was an increase in weight 

 of fleece due to the accumulation of a greater proportion of yolk or other 

 foreign matter In the wool. Sheep shorn April 12, both washed and unwashed, 

 produced slightly more scoured wool than did sheep shorn June 1. Sheep shorn 

 April 12 made slightly greater gains than did sheep shorn June 1. 



Trials with alfalfa as a hog feed. Some pasture crops for hogs, W. H. 

 Peters and D. J. Geiken (North Dakota Sta. Circ. IS {1916), p. 8).— Three 

 groups of three lots each of thi-ee and four pigs each, group 1, 3-month-old 

 pigs, group 2, 7-month-old pigs, and group 3, mature brood sows, were fed 

 from January 9 to March 13, 1915, with the following results: 



Feed consumed, gains made, and cost of gains in hog-feeding testa. 



For the three lots where dry alfalfa hay was used it was put through a 

 straw cutter and cut into one-half-inch lengths, and was fed by placing the 

 dry hay in the troughs after the grain had been eaten at each feeding time. 

 With the three lots where steamed hay was used it was put through the cutter, 

 and then steamed for an hour or so before feeding by running live steam into 

 a large can containing hay. 



The results indicate that in order to get hogs started eating alfalfa hay In 

 winter it is necessary to limit the grain to such an extent that the hogs must 

 eat hay or go hungry. When handled in this way they will take very readily 

 to the hay, and a limited amount of hay can be fed satisfactorily, securing as 



