978 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



XX. Feeding Potatoes. 



Very often potatoes become so cheap, on account of an increased supply, 

 that it would pay better to feed them to hogs than to sell them on the 

 market. Hogs can be made to gain rapidly on a ration of cooked potatoes 

 to which is added shorts, chopped wheat, oats or barley. In experiments 

 conducted at the Oregon station, pigs made a daily gain of 1.3 pounds 

 on an average ration of 12.4 pounds of potatoes, and 2.8 poimds 

 of chopped oats and shorts mixed half and half. The results of experi- 

 ments indicate that the value of potatoes for feeding to hogs is about 10 

 cents per bushel. This value will vary, however, under varying condi- 

 tions of market and methods of feeding. 



XXI. Pumpkins for Hogs. 



Not much has been done in an experimental way in feeding pumpkins 

 to hogs, but in practice many farmers in the West feed pumpkins very 

 successfully. Experiments were carried on at the government station 

 to determine the value of pumpkins as a part ration for hogs, with the 

 following results: They were fed from October 10 to December 25. 

 The pumpkins were cooked and shorts were added to make the food 

 palatable. The hogs gained 499 pounds, and consumed 7,523 pounds 

 of pumpkins and 924 pounds of shorts. Placing the pumpkins at $2.50 

 per ton, and the shorts at $12 per ton, the total cost would be $14.94. 

 This makes the cost of 100 pounds of gain in live weight $2. This is the 

 cheapest pork produced from any combination of food materials tested 

 at the Oregon station. The pumpkins were valued at the estimated cost 

 of production. The pork produced by this feed was pronounced first- 

 class for bacon purposes. The hogs were healthy and were never off 

 their feed throughout the feeding period. 



XXII. Conclusion. 



Hogs free from disease. — Hogs in the Northwest are generally very 

 free from disease. Hog cholera is practically unknown in Oregon, Wash- 

 ington, and Idaho. No well-defined cases have, so far as we are aware, 

 developed within this region, although cases have been reported where 

 hogs were imported from cholera-infected districts in the Eastern States. 

 Our methods of feeding, together with a greater variety of food material, 

 is conducive to the health of the animals. The comparatively small 

 proportion of com fed is an advantage to health. Corn, being a highly 

 carbonaceous food, induces more animal heat, and should be mixed with 

 some food rich in protein to give the best results, both as affecting the 

 health of the animals and the quality of the product. Where wheat, 



