222 FARM ANIMALS 



While both corn and peas have a decided tendency 

 to soften pork rendering it less valuable as bacon 

 or for the production of fine cuts of meat 

 this tendency may be overcome by feeding skim 

 milk. A mixture of oats, peas and barley in 

 equal parts produces an excellent quality of pork. 

 Skim milk may also be added to this mixture. 

 If fed in connection with a good ration, rape, 

 pumpkins, artichokes, sugar beets, turnips and 

 mangels do not injure the quality of the pork. In 

 fact, the value and the firmness of the pork may 

 be slightly increased by feeding these roots. 

 This has been found to be particularly true where 

 roots have been added to a mixed grain ration. 

 Perhaps the best proportion is obtained by feeding 

 roots in quantity equal to the grain ration. As 

 already indicated, the desirable amount of succu- 

 lence for pigs may be obtained from pasture, 

 silage, or from soiling crops as well as from roots. 

 A moderate amount of clover, vetch, alfalfa and 

 similar crops has a beneficial effect on the quality 

 of the pork. In addition, the softness of bacon 

 may be due not only to feeding an improper ration, 

 such as corn meal or peas exclusively, but to too 

 little exercise, lack of thriftiness in the pigs, lack 

 of finish and any check which may occur in the 

 process of fattening. As already indicated, it 

 nas been found in the South that the melting 

 point of lard from pigs which are fed large quan- 

 tities of chuf as and peanuts is much lower than 

 when they receive corn in addition to their other 

 grain. Thus, in Arkansas, the melting point of 

 lard from pigs fed on chufas and peanuts was 

 ninety-three degrees F. and on corn one hundred 

 and one degrees F. 



Various feeds not only have an effect on the soft- 



