86 Feeds and Feeding. 



be produced in the body of the pig at the will of the feeder. 

 Others interpret the investigations as an attack upon Indian corn 

 for swine feeding, while still others declare the experiments 

 inaccurate, or that the figures show nothing unusual. These 

 writers refer to the experiments by Lawes and Gilbert in which 

 the carcasses of pigs fed bran, beans and lentils showed no dif- 

 ference in the proportion of muscle to fat over those receiv- 

 ing carbonaceous foods. They overlook the vital point in the 

 problem, viz., that these later experiments were with growing 

 pigs, while the early ones were with animals well advanced 

 toward maturity. In the Lawes and Gilbert trials the protein 

 feeds used were not altogether suitable for pigs. How much their 

 results were modified by this fact it is impossible to state. 



For a discussion of the practical bearing of these experiments 

 see articles 936-940. 



II. Strengthening the Bones of Pigs Kept Exclusively on Corn. 



114. Hard-wood ashes and bone meal for pigs fed corn. When 

 feeding corn to pigs as the exclusive ration, the writer observed a 

 strong craving by the pigs for wood ashes, considerable quantities 

 of which were consumed, if opportunity offered. Were the ashes 

 a benefit to the pigs or not? To answer this question three exper- 

 iments were conducted. 1 



In each trial six pigs, all from one litter, were used, the animals 

 being from 105 to 128 days old when the feeding began. The 

 previous feed had been liberal in variety and supply, and the 

 pigs were well started in their development when the trial began. 

 They were divided into three lots of two each, and all lots were 

 fed liberally on corn meal, with salt and water additional. Lot I 

 received nothing else. Lot II was allowed hard-wood ashes 

 supplied in a separate trough. Instead of ashes, Lot III was 

 given a spoonful of bone meal with each feed. In regard to 

 the amount of these articles consumed, it may be stated that in 

 one of the trials, which lasted 112 days, two pigs consumed 10.5 

 pounds of bone meal and 7.5 pounds of salt, and in the same time 

 two other pigs consumed 33 pounds of hard- wood ashes and 



i Bept. Wis. Expt. Sta., 1896; Bui. 25. 



