FEEDING SWINE 129 



Space is given only to the more important swine feeds, 

 and while there are many others, a few of which are 

 enumerated, it will generally be found advisable for the 

 feeder to restrict himself to those feeds described more in 

 detail, for their value has been proven. In the making 

 of these discussions and calculations, authoritative works 

 have been freely consulted, and in most instances credit 

 is given. In other instances, where several authors have 

 concurred on a special point, the references have been 

 omitted for obvious reasons. 



Corn. A description of the grain or seed of this 

 standard American cereal is unnecessary. It is one of 

 the most valuable carbohydrate feeds we have, contain- 

 ing about 68 pounds of digestible carbohydrates and 5 

 pounds of digestible fat per hundred pounds of grain. 

 In the same amount there are only about 7 pounds of 

 digestible protein, which shows that it is deficient in 

 protein. It has a nutritive ratio of approximately 1 : 11.3. 

 The weakness of corn thus lies in its small amount of 

 protein. Also, research work has shown that the pro- 

 tein that is supplied by corn is not of the best quality. In 

 addition, corn is deficient in mineral matter. These two 

 deficiencies show the great necessity for properly supple- 

 menting a corn ration. Its composition suggests the 

 value of corn in supplementing pastures rich in protein, 

 such as peanut, rape, broom or rescue grass, alfalfa, 

 vetch, velvet bean and bur clover. Practically every 

 system of grazing crops for swine should contain corn. 

 It is generally planted from March to May, or as soon as 

 all dangers of frost are over. Yields vary greatly, al- 

 though the average is low in the South. It is a feed that 

 is .available almost over the entire South and at all 



