120 



HARRIS ON THE PIG. 



assimilate in proportion to its size, the more it will gain 

 in proportion to the food consumed. 



During the second month, each pig ate, in pen A, 37 

 Ibs. of milk per week, and 1 Ib. each of oats and corn, 

 and gained 2.83 Ibs. each per week. This also shows a 

 great falling off in the consumption of food in proportion 

 to live weight, and a still greater falling off in the rapidi- 

 ty of increase in proportion to the food consumed. 



During the eighth week it required nearly double the 

 amount of food to produce a pound of increase as during 

 the fourth week. 



After the eighth week, as we have said, the pigs were 

 fed exclusively on corn-meal. The following table shows 

 the amount of food consumed by each pig per week, and 

 the increased growth obtained from it. 



It should be remembered that these pigs were all of 

 one litter, and that in both pens they had the same food, 

 (except that during the seventh month of the experiment 

 the pigs in Pen A were allowed roots in addition to the 

 corn meal) were fed at the same time, and in the same 

 conditions, and both were allowed all they would eat, and 

 yet the pigs in pen B ate 61 per cent more food than 

 those in pen A, and gained over 92 per cent more. 



We cannot tell why one pig differs from another pig of 

 the same litter. But, aside from this, it is not difficult to 

 understand why pigs, that eat more food, should gain 

 more in proportion to the food consumed. It is owing to 



