THE FEEDING VALUE OF ROOTS 



18 



quantities of roots is approximately the same as the weight of 

 dry matter in one Ib. of corn.) 



The food supplied to the pigs in these experiments was barley, 

 butter-milk and skim-milk, about half of the latter being 

 replaced by whey in the second year. Group A had as usual 

 the normal quantity of corn, in group B, C and D half of the 

 corn was replaced by roots, B getting 8 (or 7) Ibs. of Eckendorf , 

 C 6J Ibs. of Elvetham, and D 5 Ibs. of F. S. B. for each 1 Ib. of 

 corn. Six series of feeding experiments were carried out, two 

 on one farm, three on another, and one on a third. The 

 average increases in Ibs. per pig in 10 days were : 



There is the closest agreement between the average increases 

 in groups B, C and D, proving that the quantities of the three 

 kinds of roots, calculated from their chemical analyses, had, 

 as expected, the same feeding value. It is, therefore, possible 

 from the chemical analyses of roots to calculate what quantities 

 of different kinds of roots can replace each other as food for 

 pigs without altering the rate or increase in the weight of the 

 pigs. As the sugar is generally 60 to 65 per cent, of the total 

 solids, it is for all practical purposes sufficient to estimate the 

 amount of total solids or dry matter, which is so much easier 

 to estimate than the amount of sugar. 



It seems as if the quantities of roots given were hardly 

 equivalent to 1 Ib. of corn, but that was chiefly due to series 72 

 on the one farm. Of the two other farms one points in favour 

 of corn, the other in favour of roots. 



As a general result these feeding trials have therefore proved 

 that roots can be used as food for pigs, and can replace part 

 of the corn, giving 6 to 8 Ibs. of mangels for 1 Ib. of corn, accord- 

 ing to the analyses of the mangels, and that various kinds or 



