58 4 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



value of sugar and to learn the amount of protein and non-nitrogenous 

 material best suited for fattening pigs. Lots 1 and »> were fed a 

 normal ration consisting, per 1,000 kg. live weight, of 80 kg, of cooked 

 potatoes, 80 kg. of skim milk, 10 kg. of barle}^, furnishing 5 kg. of 

 protein and 28 kg. of non-nitrogenous nutrients. The nutritive ratio 

 was 1:5.7. Lots 2 and 5 were fed a ration rich in protein, receiving 

 per 1,000 kg. live weight, 80 kg. of cooked potatoes, 40 kg. of skim 

 milk, 5 kg. of meat meal, and 12.5 kg. of ground barley. This ration 

 had a nutritive ratio of 1:4.92, and furnished 7.5 kg. of protein and 

 28 kg. of nitrogen-free nutrients. Lots 3 and 4 were fed a ration 

 deficient in protein consisting, per 1,000 kg. live weight, of 80 kg. of 

 cooked potatoes, 20 kg. of ground barley, and 10 kg. of sugar, furnish- 

 ing 2.5 kg. of protein and 40 kg. of nitrogen-free material. This 

 ration had a nutritive ratio of 1:15. 



This ration was fed from February 27, 1898, to April 27, this being- 

 regarded as a preliminary period. From April 27 until the close of 

 the test proper, June 15, the amount of potatoes fed the diti'erent lots 

 was reduced to 60 kg. The amount of the other feeding stuffs was also 

 changed somewhat, but the proportion of protein to nitrogen-free 

 material was aljout the same. 



At the beginning of the preliminary period the pigs weighed about 

 50 kg. each. During the test the pigs of lot 1 and gained 0.718 kg. 

 per head per day; those in lots 2 and 5, 0.661 kg.; and those in lots 

 3 and 4, 0. 929 kg. The pigs receiving the large amount of protein 

 had not gained as much as was expected; therefore, the test was con- 

 tinued 77 days with lots 2 and 5, the ration being increased l>y the 

 addition of 12 kg. of sugar per 1,000 kg. of live weight. One pig was 

 dropped out on account of illness. The average daily gain of the 

 others was 0.525 kg. All the lots were slaughtered and the flesh 

 judged by an expert. The ratio of dressed weight to live weight was 

 practically the same, ranging in the different lots from 76.1 to 76.6 

 per cent. In the author's opinion the differences between the individual 

 members of the lots were more marked than between the diflerent lots. 

 The belly fat and the lard of the diflerent lots were examined. 



The principal conclusions follow: A ration containing 5 kg. of 

 digestible protein and 28 kg. of digestil)le nitrogen-free material per 

 1,000 kg. live weight suffice for producing a gain of 0.5 kg. per head 

 per day. Increasing the digestible protein did not have a beneficial 

 effect. Meat meal is a suitable nitrogenous feeding stuff when only 

 gains in weight are considered. Sugar, when fed in a ration furnish- 

 ing 5 kg. of digestible protein and 4() kg. of digestible nitrogen-free 

 nutrients per 1,000 kg. live weight, gave very satisfactory results. 

 Better results may be expected if a ration containing sugar and having 

 a wide ruitritive ratio supplements for a few weeks a period with a 

 normal ration. Definite results regarding the effect of the different 

 rations on the composition of flesh and fat were not drawn. 



