PASTURING AND SOILING 167 



slightly less cost for food than the hogs fed a full- 

 grain ration." 



Considering the financial side, with the price of grain 

 as stated, the lot fed with "grain alone on pasture re- 

 quired $5.32 worth of grain, while the value of the gain 

 was $8.13, showing a profit of $2.71 on the feed, or 

 more than 50 per cent. If the gain was worth four 

 cents per pound, then the profit on the grain was over 

 100 per cent. With a half-grain ration on pasture, the 

 returns, with the gain valued at three cents a pound, are 

 over 100 per cent on the cost of the grain, and at four 

 cents per pound for the gain nearly 200 per cent profit. 

 On this point again a limited-grain ration on pasture 

 gives the largest returns for the grain fed." 



LIMITATIONS OF PASTURAGE 



The quantity of food required merely to sustain an 

 animal is not inconsiderable, and this will be influenced 

 somewhat by the efTort necessary to secure it. Too wide 

 a range in pasture may therefore be disadvantageous in 

 encouraging the hog to become too much of a traveler. 

 On the other hand, the swine-raiser who gives his hogs 

 all the corn they will eat, with plenty of water and shade 

 in the feed-lot, may wonder why his hogs prefer lying 

 down and resting between meals to roaming in available 

 pasture. Profitable results demand a reasonable limita- 

 tion in both directions, and an avoidance always of excess 

 in either. 



It is doubtful whether unlimited pasture may be con- 

 sidered economical except perhaps, for brood sows. The 

 proper amount of land to give over to pasture must 



