100 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



pigs were what might be termed narrow, varying from 

 1 : 3.3 to 1:5. Whether a narrow or a wide ration is 

 better for growing and fattening i)ig8 is still a matter of 

 some dispute among investigators. It is certain, however, 

 that the rations fed in our various experiments with pigs 

 have been productive of most excellent results, and we can 

 commend them to the serious attention of the farmers of the 

 State. 



Descriptiox of the Experiment. 



Six grade Chester White pigs, three sows and three bar- 

 rows, weighing from 25 to 30 pounds each, served us for 

 the experiment. They were kept in separate pens, and fed 

 three times per day, namely, in the morning at six o'clock, 

 at noon, and in the afternoon at live o'clock, with all the 

 food they would eat up clean. It was always our object to 

 supply them plentifully, but at the same time not to glut 

 them, and thus in a measure destroy their appetites. 



The liquid food consisted of from three to six quarts of 

 skim-milk per day, depending upon the size of the pigs and 

 the quantity of milk at our disposal. It never exceeded six 

 quarts per day. The grain fed was corn meal and Buffalo 

 gluten feed. The gluten feed, being quite rich in protein, 

 served to keep our rations Avithin the limits desired when 

 the supply of skim-milk failed, and four ounces of gluten 

 feed was in a general way reckoned equal to one quart of 

 skim-milk. 



Number of Feeding Periods. 



The experiment was divided into three distinct feeding 

 periods. The first period continued till the i)ius reached 80 

 pounds in weight, and the food consisted of two ounces of 

 corn meal to every quart of milk, with a ratio of 1 : 3.3. 

 As our supply of milk at this season was rather limited, 

 four ounces of gluten feed was su])stituted for each quart of 

 milk, and this gradually increased the ratio to 1 : 4. 



The second period began when the pigs reached about 80 

 pounds in weight and continued till 125 pounds w(>ight was 

 reached. The food consisted of the skim-milk at our dis- 

 posal, which varied somewhat, together with corn meal and 

 Buffalo gluten feed, to give the desired ratio of 1 : 4.5. 



