Investigations with Swine. 



543 



length. From these figures it appears that the intestines of pigs 

 of the improved breeds are longer in proportion to the body than 

 those given by Cuvier. This may indicate that the modern pig 

 can digest his food more thoroughly than his ancestors, and also 

 that he can eat a larger quantity of food in a given time. 



834. Water drank. We find little recorded on this subject, 

 possibly because the matter is not considered of importance by 

 many. In a feeding trial by the writer at the Wisconsin Station, l 

 a group of ten pigs divided into two lots of five each, one lot 

 getting barley meal and the other corn meal, was fed for a period 

 of eight weeks, with the results given below: 



Feed and water consumed by pigs fattened on barley meal and corn 

 meal Wisconsin Station. 



The weight of water reported includes that required for soak- 

 ing the meal and also that drank from a second trough. 



It will be seen that the pigs fed corn meal consumed about two 

 pounds of water, and the barley-fed pigs over three pounds, for each 

 pound of meal eaten. The pigs getting corn meal consumed over 

 900 pounds of water, and the barley-fed pigs about 1,500 pounds, 

 for each 100 pounds of gain in live weight. Pigs fed corn meal 

 appear to require less water than when on other feeds. (375) 



835. Breed tests. A number of breed tests with swine have 

 been conducted by the Stations. In the following trial by the 

 writer at the Wisconsin Station 2 a boar and four sows of the Berk- 

 shire breed were fed in comparison with a boar and four sows of 

 the Poland- China breed. The animals were registered, coming 

 from several breeders of repute. The pigs ran on blue-grass past- 

 ure in summer and fall and were comfortably housed in winter. 



1 Rept. 1890. * Kept. 1894. 



