THE PIG. 469 



tides separated by the fibrous food, and, when eaten, went 

 into the stomach in a spongy condition, so that the gastric 

 juice could penetrate and circulate through the mass as 

 water through a sponge. It will be noted that the digest- 

 ing fluid comes in contact with every part of the mass of 

 food at once, and the digestion must thus be accomplished 

 evenly and rapidly. But, when the meal is fed alone, it 

 necessarily goes into the stomach in the solid, plastic form 

 of dough, and the gastric juice cannot readily penetrate the 

 mass, but must mix with it, little by little, whilst it is 

 slowly moved by the muscular contraction of the stomach. 

 The lot of pigs with the clover and meal were always lively, 

 always ready for their feed ; whilst the other lot, with meal 

 alone, ate greedily for a time, and then became mincing and 

 dainty for a few days, indicating a feverish state of system, 

 taking little but water for a few meals ; and by fasting they 

 appeared to recover the tone of the stomach and the appetite,, 

 and go on eating vigorously again. This was repeated many 

 times during the five months the experiment continued. 

 On weighing the two lots at the end, the one fed on meal 

 alone averaged 150 Ibs. each ; the lot on clover and meal 

 averaged 210 Ibs. each, or 40 per cent, more for being 

 treated according to their nature as grass-eating animals. 

 Each lot consumed the same amount of meal. The clover 

 was intended, principally, as a divisor for the meal, and 

 amounted to not more than two quarts at a feed. We have 

 often since followed this plan in summer, giving all the cut 

 clover they would eat, mixed with the various kinds of 

 grain used, and it is a most excellent system when incon- 

 venient to give pasture. This may be considered the 



SOILING SYSTEM FOE SWINE, 



and, when properly conducted, is capable of being carried 

 on with a large herd, by simple subdivision into lots of 

 twenty each. An acre of good clover will soil four times as 



