1888.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 55 



3. Feeding Experiments with Pigs. 



The observations recorded below are a continuation of 

 feeding experiments with pigs, described in our Second and 

 Third Annual Reports. The first of these experiments (see, 

 for details, Second Annual Report, page G8) was instituted 

 for the purpose of comparing the feeding effects of equal 

 measures of creamery buttermilk — Amherst creamery — 

 and of skim-milk from the Station, adding in l)otli instances 

 to the daily diet a corresponding amount of corn meal. 

 The daily ration of corn metd was from time to time in- 

 creased, independent of the amount of milk fed at the time, 

 during the progress of the growth of the animals on trial. 

 The results of this experiment showed practically no differ- 

 ence in regard to the amount of dressed pork produced in 

 either case. 



Repeated examinations of the two kinds of milk used in 

 the trial had proved that the skim-milk contained on an 

 average one-fifth, or twenty per cent., more solid matter 

 of a similar character than the creamery buttermilk at our 

 disposal. 



This excess of solids in the skim-milk, judging from our 

 results, seemed to be wasted in our mode of feeding ; for 

 714 pounds of corn meal and 982 gallons of skim-mik (with 

 10 per cent, of solids) had produced 510 pounds of dressed 

 pork, whilst 718 pounds of corn meal and 985 gallons of 

 creamery buttermilk (with 8 per cent, of solids) had yielded, 

 under otherwise corresponding circumstances, 515 pounds 

 of dressed pork, as the total amount from three pigs on each 

 side. 



To account, if possible, for the less satisfactory returns of 

 the skim-milk diet, as compared with that of the creamery 

 buttermilk, the second feeding experiment was planned 

 (see, for details, Third Annual Report, page 23) . It was de- 

 cided to calculate the amount of corn meal to be fed in the 

 new experiment with reference to an equal amount of solids 

 in both kinds of milk and not with reference to any equal 

 measure of both kinds. 



The average result of this trial seemed to account quite 

 satisfactorily for the above-stated difference in solids of both 



