104 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



NINETEENTH FEEDING EXPERIMENT WITH PIGS. 



December, 1892, to April, 1893. 



Six pigs were used in this experiment. They were 

 divided into two lots of three each, and both lots were fed 

 for the first ten days upon skim-milk and corn meal till they 

 became accustomed to their new quarters. Pigs 1 and 4 

 were barrows, and Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 were sows. The pigs 

 came from a Chester White sow, but as they grew Nos. 2, 3 

 and 6 showed plainly the Yorkshire characteristics. The 

 general mode of treatment was quite similar to that described 

 in the preceding experiment. 



Object of the Experiment. 



The object of the experiment was : First, a continuation 

 of the many preceding experiments, in order to firmly estab- 

 lish facts relative to the most economical method of feeding 

 skim-milk in combination with various grains and new con- 

 centrated fodder articles ; in this case the experiment with 

 Bufialo gluten feed was continued. Second, a step was taken 

 in the direction of comparing the relative value of wide vs. 

 narrow rations for economical pork production. In the 

 many experiments heretofore made at this station, the gen- 

 eral mode of feeding has been what might be termed narrow, 

 i. e., large quantities of nitrogenous matter in proportion to 

 the non-nitrogenous and starchy matter have been fed. The 

 feeding has generally begun with a ration of one part nitrog- 

 enous to three i^arts non-nitrogenous (1:3), and has been 

 twice increased during the later feeding periods, till in the 

 last of the three periods (in which the animal has increased 

 in weight from 125 to 180 pounds) the ratio has been one 

 part nitrogenous to four and one-half parts non-nitrogenous 

 (1 : 4.5). Only in one or two cases have wider rations been 

 fed. This method of feeding has been productive of most 

 excellent results. The skim-milk has been most economi- 

 cally utilized, the animals have possessed uniformly good 

 health and the pork has been produced at a comparatively 

 Jow cost. 



