MEAT PRODUCTION 399 



stubbles, from y 2 to I pound of some such grain mixture 

 as corn and oats would be a necessity for quick finishing. 

 When large sums are paid out annually for commercial 

 fertilizers, to feed such a supplement freely as corn and 

 oil cake to sheep while being grazed on arable pastures, 

 would probably be found one of the cheapest possible 

 methods of securing fertility. It is doubtless correct to say 

 that a light grain supplement fed to immature swine on 

 pasture will prove profitable in all instances in which the 

 grazing does not consist of mature grain. Growing swine 

 cannot consume enough pasture to insure quick growth. 

 The amount of the supplement will vary with the size of 

 the swine and the character of the pasture, but it is ap- 

 proximately correct to say that not less than half the 

 amount of grain should be fed that would be necessary if 

 the swine were wholly dependent on grain. 



The relative profit from finishing stock on pasture with 

 a grain supplement as compared with the same under con- 

 fined conditions has been made the subject of experiment, 

 and the conclusions reached favor the view that more 

 profit results from finishing thus on pasture. This view 

 is doubtless correct where the conditions favor such grazing 

 but the fact remains, nevertheless, that very much of the 

 live stock fattened must continue to be so fattened in the 

 winter season, otherwise much coarse food would be 

 vasted that is now turned to excellent account. 



It would be a mistake to try and finish live stock on 

 sparse pastures, even when a grain supplement is in ample 

 supply, owing to the over abundant expenditure of energy 

 on the part of the animals in searching for grass, which, 

 when succulent, is always appetizing. Such expenditure 

 would be at the expense of supplemental food. But it may 

 be in order to feed breeding or store animals a supplement 

 of grain rich in the elements of fertilization. When the 

 object is to enrich the land as well as to benefit the animals, 

 sheep are best adapted to such feeding, because of the 

 even way in which their droppings are distributed, and 



