166 Journal of Ayriculture, Victoria. [10 Makch, 1916. 



every time he does it. This loss of nearly 4s. occurs with a small 

 quantity of milk like 58^ gallons. How many Victorian dairy farmers 

 are suffering it many times over every day of their lives ? 



[Pollard has been substituted for the maize of the American experi- 

 ment, becauss in normal times prices are always in its favour here.] 



The better returns when the proportion of pollard is kept up to one- 

 third should convince any one that full supplementation of the skim milk 

 is worth while, despite the indifference of so many dairy farmers. 



Of course, it is net meant to suggest that a certain exact proportion 

 is to be adhered to^ absolutely in the practical operation of pig feeding — 

 a slight variation one way or the other is neither here nor there. What 

 is urged is that the man with Sikim milk to utilize should keep some- 

 where near the proportion which has been proved by frequent experi- 

 ment to be tTie most effective. It means raking in an extra Id. for 

 every gallon of skim milk which he is fortunate enough to possess. It 

 may be seen from the above how the skim milk of one cow — say 585 

 gallons — may be worth £2 8s. 4d. to one man, and £4 10s. to another, 

 just according to the business grasp of the owner; also, why farmers' 

 estimates of the gallon value of skim milk vai-y so. 



No ^iEED TO GO BEYOND POLLARD. 



The inducement to use concentrate in pig feeding is naturally in pro- 

 portion to the net return possible from such use, and this in turn must 

 depend on the market price of concentrates. Unless grain seconds are 

 available instead, it is unlikely that, as a concentrate, pollard can be 

 improved upon for the purpose; but, of course, the market price is the 

 determining factor here. Though maize-meal, barley, rye, peas, wheat, 

 and pollard, &c., are all nearly equally effective in fattening, it perhaps 

 never occurs that they can be equally recommended for the purpose, 

 because the respective prices must be considered ; and the comparatively 

 high prices which generally prevail in Victoria for most of the con- 

 centrates are a more or lees constant bar to their general use as pig 

 food. But pollard is usually a happy exception, although it is easily 

 conceivable that beyond a certain price — as during the recent scarcity — 

 it also would fail to be remunerative, unless the price obtainable for 

 the fattened product should immediately adapt itself to the increased 

 cost of production. With normal prices ruling for both pollard and 

 bacon, a liberal use of the former with skim milk will undoubtedly 

 justify itself, and prove a profitable venture. The other concentrates 

 named can only be recommended in preference to pollard when their 

 price is below normal, excepting, of course, when a man has " seconds" 

 on hand which are not saleable. The addition of some coarser grain, 

 however, facilitates the digestion of pollard. 



Why do Farmers Hesitate ? 



Dairvmen generaTly do not doubt the efficiency of added pollard as 

 an aid to fattening, and it is pleasing to admit that some supplementa- 

 tion of skim milk is general. The pity is that so many baulk at the 

 quantity necessary for maximum results. A decision to purchase the 

 requisite pollard, or to hold back more home-grown grain, requires 

 confidence of a kind, rare amongst farmers, in the pig's ability to repay. 

 The former means letting hard-earned cash out of hand, and the latter 



