Influence of Feed on the Animal Body. 



87 



8 pounds of salt. The pigs were conimed in pens, with small 

 yards at the rear for exercise. The ground in these yards was 

 covered with boards to prevent the animals from rooting in the 

 earth and eating quantities of it, as those not getting ashes or 

 bone meal would have done had opportunity offered. The 

 trials lasted from 84 to 128 days without any of the animals 

 dying or becoming sick, a surprising fact for the lots living 

 wholly on corn meal, salt and water. 



115. What the trials revealed. — As the trials progressed it 

 became evident that none of the pigs were properly nurtured, 

 though the difference in favor of those getting bone meal or ashes 

 was very marked. The pigs allowed neither ashes nor bone meal 

 were most plainly dwarfed. It was evident that the com meal, 

 salt and water did not supply all the elements essential to build- 

 ing a normal framework of bone and muscle. These dwarfe 

 became so fat that the jowls and bellies of some of them nearly 

 touched the ground. 



The pigs getting ashes or bone meal grew very well for 

 some time, but toward the close of the trial they made only 

 fair gains, showing that the nutrients supplied were still too 

 limited in character to allow normal development. On slaughter, 

 the several lots showed no difference in the proportion of fat 

 to lean, nor was there any difference in the size or character 

 of the various internal organs. The bones, however, were a most 

 interesting study. In the same manner as described in the pre- 

 ceding topic, the thigh bones of these pigs were broken in a test- 

 ing machine with the results shown below: 



Results with pigs living on com meal with or without hone meal and 

 hard- wood ashes in addition — Wisconsin Station. 



