304 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



given in large quantities during the last four or 

 five weeks of fattening, or even earlier than that, 

 for the tissues ought to have time to get rid of the 

 excess of water before the animal is killed. With 

 those foods which tend to give a soft oily bacon, it 

 is advisable to feed at the same time some palm-nut 

 or cocoa-nut cake meal, either of which tends to 

 correct the softness. When feeding with maize 

 satisfactory results have been got from a mixture 

 of 80 parts maize meal and 20 parts palm-nut cake 

 meal. 



Cotton-seed meal has frequently been the cause 

 of fatal illness to pigs, and must therefore be used 

 with the greatest possible caution. Roughly ground 

 lupines also act poisonously and lead to cramp and 

 death, but when they have been freed from the 

 bitter principle, which must be thoroughly done, 

 they are a good fattening food. Meat meal, which 

 is very suitable as an addition to a diet deficient in 

 protein, allows of the consumption of large quan- 

 tities of steamed or boiled potatoes, but it has the 

 disadvantage of easily causing diarrhoea, and there- 

 fore should only be given to young animals in 

 quantities of 50-100 g. (2-4 oz.), or by very gradual 

 increase up to 250 g. (9 oz.). 



A more detailed description of the other feeding- 

 stuffs is to be found in the second part of this 

 volume. 



The preparation of food for pigs is often carried 



