A glance will show that the growth per one hundred pounds 

 of live weight is much larger in each lot when the ration is skim- 

 milk and corn meal than when it is corn meal and middlings, 

 and it is likewise noticeable that this gain decreases with the 

 same ration as the pigs grew older. It is also evident that the 

 cost of growth follows the same rule, being lowest when the gain 

 is greatest. 



The following averages were obtained during the one hun- 

 dred and thirty-three days covered by this work : 

 Average weekly gain for loo lbs live Lot j. Lot 2. 



weight, on skim-milk ration, 11.3 ) 12.6 | 



on mixed grain ration, 9.2 \ "* 8.5 \ 



Average cost of i pound of growth, 



on skim-milk ration, 3.9 > 3.4) 



on mixed grain ration, 5.1 | ^'^ 5.3 [ ^'^ 



The figures for the skim-milk and corn meal ration are put 

 n black faced type, and it is at once seen that the rate of gain 

 is unmistakably greater on the skim-milk and grain than on 

 grain alone, the percentage in favor of the former being 23 and 

 47 on lot I and 2 respectively, while the cost of growth on lots 

 I and 2 is 1.2 cents and 1.9 cents greater per pound when the 

 food was mixed grain ; this difference is well worthy of careful 

 consideration. With grain costing, as this did, $30.00 per ton 

 for corn meal and $26 for middlings, such pigs as these were can- 

 not be fed without loss when pork sells at four cents alive, or 

 five cents dressed. 



With skim-milk, however, the case is different, for two rea- 

 sons : first, less " raw material," that is digestible matter, is re- 

 quired to produce a pound of growth, as shown below. 



DIGESTIBLE MATTER PER HUNDRED POUNDS OF GROWTH. 



Average digestible dry matter required to produce 100 



pounds gain : L©t i. Lot 2. 



Skim-milk and corn meal, 24* 220^ 



Meal and middlings, 334^ 334^ 



Average for entire time, 279 288^ 



and secondly, because with skim-milk and corn meal a greater 



quantity of food can be handled daily. Thus, by both of these 



factors the time required for producing a two hundred pound 



pig is reduced very materially. This point is not sufficiently 



8 



