FARM ANIMALS 223 



ness, value and quality of the meat, but on the 

 strength of bone in hogs. This is an important 

 matter from a practical standpoint since hogs are 

 heavy animals as compared with the size of their 

 legs and are, therefore, particularly susceptible to 

 bone fractures in transportation. The fracture 

 of* a leg in transportation is equivalent to the loss 

 of the hog, since they can be sold for little or 

 nothing. The meat is greatly injured in appear- 

 ance in the region of the bone fracture. Numerous 

 feeding tests have been made to determine the 

 difference in strength of bone in hogs fed different 

 rations. After such experiments are carried to a 

 conclusion the thigh bones are taken and the break- 

 ing strength determined in a manner similar to 

 the method adopted in the case of timber tests. 

 In such tests, for example, it has been found that 

 the strength of bone in hogs fed corn and skim 

 milk is sufficient to support four times the weight 

 of the body, while on corn and beef meal it is 

 sufficient to support eight times the bodyweight. 

 Beef meal and other animal feeds have a striking 

 effect in increasing the strength of the bone. 

 On the other hand, exclusive feeding of corn 

 will so weaken the bones on account of the lack 

 of sufficient mineral matters that spontaneous 

 fractures occur in the legs in the ordinary move- 

 ments of the pig in getting up and down and in 

 walking about the yard. 



It is a matter of some practical interest to know 

 the amount of milk secreted by the sow. From 

 careful tests carried out to determine this point it 

 appears that Berkshire sows yield about six pounds 

 01 milk daily, Poland Chinas five pounds, and 

 razorbacks slightly more than five pounds. The 

 total amount of milk yielded by the sow during 



