CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE CARCASSES OF PIGS. 



ANALYTICAL WORK. 



INCEPTION OF THE INVESTIGATION. 



Following instructions received from the Secretary of Agriculture, 

 the Division of Chemistry, in November, 1897, undertook a study of the 

 chemical composition of the carcasses of pigs. These pigs were grown 

 at the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station under standard condi- 

 tions of diet, and a comparison of their carcasses reveals, therefore, the 

 influence of breed and heredity on the character of the meat. In 

 the following correspondence will be found the data connected with the 

 history of the animals before they were delivered to the Division of 

 Chemistry. 



CORRESPON DENCE . 



EXPERIMENT STATION, IOWA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, 



Ames, Iowa, October 8, 1897. 



MY DEAR SIR: We have, as you are aware, a very interesting and instructive 

 experiment nearing completion, in which we have grown carefully selected repre- 

 sentatives of six of the leading breeds of hogs since birth in lots of ten each. These 

 pigs are now weighing nearly 200 pounds, and will be forwarded to market for the 

 test in determining the relative market value and the results in slaughtering and on 

 the block, and the meat will be carefully compared and rated by experts. This 

 experiment includes the Poland China, Berkshire, Duroc Jersey, Chester White, 

 Tamworth, and Yorkshire. It has occurred to us that a careful and exhaustive 

 chemical analysis of representative carcasses selected from each lot after slaughter- 

 ing would be a valuable feature of this investigation, and I write to know if the 

 Department of Agriculture can not cooperate with us in this work. We will gladly 

 furnish you such material as may be needed and in any form desired. I will be glad 

 to hear from you in reference to this point, and trusting that such arrangements 

 can be made, I am, 



Very truly, yours, 



C. F. CURTISS. 



Hon. JAMES WILSON, 



Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



EXPERIMENT STATION, IOWA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, 



Ames, Iowa, October 29, 1897. 



MY DEAR Mr. WILSON: Your esteemed favor of the 26th instant is at hand and I 

 note what you say about cooperation of the Department with us in our hog-feeding 

 experiments. The final weighing of the pigs will be taken Monday, and they will 

 arrive in Chicago Tuesday morning. I have arranged to place them on exhibition 



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