408 AGRICULTURE 



for the taking on of fat. For these reasons, pasturage 

 should supply the basis of the young hog's ration. Clover, 

 alfalfa, peas, rape, vetch and other succulent plants are the 

 cheapest and best feeds for the period between weaning and 

 fattening time. 



To this green feed will need to be added a certain pro- 

 portion of corn, or other grain,' in order to make a balanced 

 ration. But the poorest and most expensive way to grow 

 pigs is to shut them in a dry lot and feed them a ration of 

 corn alone, as is so often done. The farm lacking in well 

 arranged hog pastures is not ready for the business of mak- 

 ing money out of pork. 



Balanced rations for young hogs. No matter what 

 other ration may be fed pigs, milk is always desirable. For 

 milk is highly palatable to hogs, and it contains more of 

 the necessary food elements than any other food. The fol- 

 lowing are suggested as rations suitable for growing hogs 

 that have, in addition, access to good pasturage: 



1. Corn, 60%; shorts, 30%; tankage, 10%; or 



2. Corn, one-third; wheat, one-third; oats, one-third, 



ground; or 



3. Corn, one-half; shorts, one-half; or 



4. Corn, 60%; shorts, 20%; linseed-oil meal, 20%; or 



5. Corn, one-third; milk, two-thirds. 



It has been shown by careful tests that if pigs must be 

 fed in dry lots, ration one, consisting of corn sixty per cent., 

 shorts thirty per cent, and tankage ten per cent., will produce 

 double the gain that can be secured from corn alone. 



Fattening hogs. Pigs should be ready for fatten- 

 ing by the time they are from six to six and one-half months 

 old. When fattening begins, the ration should have a much 

 larger proportion of corn. In fact, hogs may be profitably 

 fattened on corn bv the addition of milk to the ration. 



