( IC.G ) 



IV. — A}i Experiment in Piri-Feeding. By C. G. Roberts, 

 of Haslemere. 



In tlie last number of tliis Journal, Dr. Voelcker, in an article 

 upon Australian concontrated Mutton-soup as a Food for Pigs, 

 gave the results of two experiments which I made with that sub- 

 stance. The supply of the mutton-soup was not enough tO' 

 enable the experiment to be continued for a sufficient time tO' 

 make it of much direct practical value, and, unfortunately, I have- 

 not yet been able to get a further supply. In that experiment it 

 may have been noticed that the food used in conjunction with 

 the mutton-soup was not l)arley-meal ; although, from its uni- 

 formity of composition, its general use in practical feeding, and 

 its adoption by Mr. Lawes for many of his elaborate feeding- 

 experiments, it might seem to be the material best fitted for the 

 purpose. The substances used were malt-dust, palm-nut meal, 

 and in some cases peas. These Avere chosen, not liecause of any 

 special fitness for use in conjunction with mutton-soup, but 

 simply because I had already been conducting a much longer 

 feeding experiment, in order to ascertain whether malt-dust,^ 

 with its comparatively low price and its extremely high 

 manurial value, could l^e freely used to advantage as a food lor 

 pigs. Previous experiments had shown me that malt-dust, 

 properly prepared by boiling or by long soaking, even Avhen 

 used alone, would keep store pigs in good condition. For the 

 fattening of animals, however, we could only expect to employ 

 this nitrogenous food economically when combined with some 

 highly concentrated fat-forming food. Such a food we find in 

 the best English palm-nut meal, the high percentage of oil 

 (or ready formed fat) which it contains, rendering it, when used 

 alone, too rich a food even for the assimilative powers of pigs. 



The malt-dust used in the experiment was purchased in 

 London, and I am indebted to the kindness of Dr. \'oelcker for. 

 the following analysis of its composition : — ■ 



Analysis of Malt-dust. 



Moisture 10-46 



Oil 2-02 



*Albuminous compoiuids 21 "62 



Starch, digestible fibre and a, little sugar .. .. A(S'i:^^ 



Woody fibre (cellulose) 12'16 



fMineral matter (ash) 7-28 



100-00 



* Containing nitrogen 3 -40 



t Containing sand antl silica 2-14 



