10 March, 1916.] The Practical Economy of Skim Milk. 167 



means delaying the full realization of a year's labour, with an element 

 of risk thrown in. Rather are they disposed to say, " It is not good 

 enough risking hard cash on pigs." This is the error, and this the 

 attitude which calls for combat. Such reasoners do not recognise the fact 

 that, without a liberal use of concentrate, maximum profits from skim 

 milk are impossible. Sometimes, of course, his financial position gives 

 a farmer no alt-ernative but to choose the cash-in-hand policy, and he 

 may be a good business farmer, nevertheless — the suit has to be cut 

 according to the cloth. But, if doubting dairy farmers, not financially 

 restricted, will ponder what has been demonstrated by the above experi- 

 ments — the reliability of which cannot reasonably be questioned — they 

 might be induced tliereby to entrust a short-dat«d loan to their pigs at 

 the high interest there shown. The security niav not be gilt-edged, 

 but with pollard at Is. per bushel, and bacon at 4d. per lb. — a very 

 reasonable estimate — it is just as secure as that offered by committing 

 bushels of seed oats to the weather in anticipation of a harvest. While 

 bacon holds above 4d.. and while the price of pollard, maize, barley, 

 peas, wheat, &c., does not exceed fd. per lb., a man is commercially 

 short-sighted who does not supplement his skim milk with all the con- 

 centratB which it requires, i.e., never less than 1 lb. of concentrate to 

 each 3 lbs. of skim milk which the pig receives. 



In the light of the experiments shown above, only one conclusion is 

 possible, viz., if it pays to use concentrate with skim milk at all, it is 

 best to use it in the most economical proportion ; and when it ceases to 

 pay in this proportion, it does not pay to use it at all. The practice 

 of " some " concentrate is too indefinite, and is merely groping in the 

 dark. A closer observance of the recommended proportion might make 

 all the difference between failure and success in pig fattening. 



Of course, it is not all. As it ig only the food eaten which gives 

 results, the farmer should make it his policy to encourage the highest 

 consumption, witliout entailing gorging. This can only be achieved 

 b/ frequency, regularity, and punctuality of supply in the troughs — 

 five times a day for preference. But, even with all the other essentials 

 — healthy animals of the right class, comfortably and cleanly kept, 

 sufficiently, frequently, and regularly fed on skim milk and concentrate 

 — the maximum profits from skim milk will ever remain out of reach 

 if tlie suj>plementing concentrate be used too s])aringly. 



Sum:r.ed up, the significance of the figures quoted is as follows: — 



1. Tliat the addition of concentrate in the larger quantity greatly 

 increases the efficiency of skim milk. 



2. That the amount of concentrate commonly used with skim milk is 

 altogether inadequate for maximum returns — consequently is unecono- 

 mical. 



3. That 6 lbs. of skim milk is sometimes, and 5.^ lbs. frequently, 

 spent in doing what 3} lbs. should do. 



4. That the returns possible from skim milk are uhk-Ii liigluT than 

 are generally obtained from it. 



5. That skim milk used with concentrate, never in greater ratio than 

 3 lbs. to 1 lb., returns, in normal times, perliaj)s 2d. i)er gnllon ; 

 whereas, if siip|>lied in 9 to 1 proportion, the probable return i.s only 

 Id. per gallon. 



The moral is, " Use plenty concentrate." 



