208 FARM ANIMALS 



of grinding grain for hogs and a larger number of 

 experiments have been carried out with corn in 

 testing this matter than with any other grain. At 

 the Wisconsin Experiment Station, a continuous 

 series of experiments was made for eight years 

 with a great uniformity of results. It appears 

 from this careful work that there is a saving of 

 seven per cent, of the corn by grinding it to meal 

 before feeding in combination with middlings or 

 other nitrogenous grain for balancing corn. Whether 

 or not it will pay, therefore, to grind corn will 

 depend entirely on the distance of the farm from 

 mills or whether the farmer has a feed mill on his 

 premises. With some other grains such as Kafir 

 corn, millet, screenings, and shrunken wheat it is 

 always best to grind into meal before feeding, since 

 otherwise a considerable part of it will pass through 

 the intestines undigested. The experimental re- 

 sults just mentioned on the question of wet vs. 

 dry grain and ground vs. whole corn are based on 

 American experiments. In Canada all of these 

 questions have also been tested with somewhat 

 similar results. From the Canadian experience, 

 it appears that merely wetting meal does not aid in 

 its digestion, while soaking it for twenty-four to 

 thirty-six hours is of considerable benefit. Cana- 

 dians recommend that nearly all grains be fed 

 ground for pigs. This, it appears, in their expe- 

 rience was more important in the case of oats, peas 

 and barley than for other grains. Soaking for a 

 day or two before feeding will render the meal more 

 digestible. With regard to the amount of water 

 which should be used in wetting grain, it should be 

 stated that in fattening pigs a thick slop is certainly 

 preferable while for pigs on pasture or for breeding 

 stock the slop may be much more diluted. In cold 



