FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 129 



meal to one part tankage. Those receiving corn meal only after a time 

 became fussy over their food aiid would not eat well and never looked 

 as active and healthy as the other three lots. The profit on the corn 

 fed lot was 98i^ cents, while on the other three lots it ranged from 

 |8.82 up to $10,851/^. This experiment clearly showed the advantage 

 and profit in feeding swine a well-balanced food, such as the system 

 required^ in order to make the most healthy and satisfactory growth. 



During 1901-2 an experiment was conducted at the Indiana Station 

 under my supervision, which showed something as to the relative val- 

 ues of condiments vs. no condiment for swine feeding. Eight sows 

 were placed in two lots and each lot was fed a mixture of half shorts 

 and half hominy feed. Lot one was also given stock food, while lot 

 two was not. These pigs were fed 120 days, during which time lot 

 one, fed condimental food, gained 682 pounds and lot two 689 pounds. 

 The cost for each pound of gain for lot one was 3.0 cents and for lot 

 two 2.6 cents. These pigs did well in each lot and were fed at a decided 

 profit. 



If one will have a standard, and breed and feed pigs of a definite type 

 and high quality; if he will select pigs that will not only breed well 

 but will feed well; if he will adopt wise precautions to maintain health 

 conditions about his premises, and, finally, if he will study the prin- 

 ciples of animal nutrition, and will feed in a sensible fashion, in ac- 

 cordance with our present knowledge of the influence of foods on the 

 body, he should have no difiiculty in handling swine, as breeder or feeder 

 with profit. 



BEEF PRODUCTS. 



BY PROP. R. S. SHAW^ AGRICUIiTURAL COLLEGE. 



A review of the conditions which have surrounded the beef pro- 

 ducer for the past year or two, considered in connection with those 

 now existing, reveals a somewhat disparaging condition of affairs. The 

 present feeding season was preceded by a scarcity of prime beef with 

 all classes commanding a high price. In July, August, September, and 

 part of October, 1902, top prices in the Chicago market ranged from 

 18.00 to 18.25 per cwt., live weight. 



In the same year strictly hay-fed cattle brought fabulous prices. On 

 April 14, 1902, a 13-car consignment of hay-fed range-fed steers from 

 the Bitter Root Stock Farm, Hamilton, Montana, was sold at South 

 Omaha' for |6.15 per cwt. This shipment comprised 273 head aver- 

 aging 1,308 pounds; finished on mixed timothy and clover pasture and 

 hay. Similar sales of hay-fed stuff were also made on the Chicago 

 market about the same time. Market conditions of 1902 are memorable 

 because the price of meats went higher than at any time during twenty 

 years. These high prices tended to stimulate the feeding business and 

 also result in expensive feeder stocks during the latter part of 1902. Dur- 

 ing this season prime feeders could not be secured short of 5 cents, 

 17 



