82 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



(7) The composition of the milk solids seemed to be independ- 

 ent of the ration. In general the proportion of fat increased 

 throughout the experiment without regard to what the cows were 

 fed, and no evidence is furnished in support of the notion that by 

 changing the food it is possible to produce more butter fat without 

 an accompanying increased production of the other milk solids. 

 In other words, it appears that the most profitable food for butter 

 production will also be most profitable for the milk farmer or 

 cheese maker. The relation of fat to the other solids seems to be 

 determined by the animal or by certain unknown conditions of 

 environment rather than by the food. 



(8) So far as could be learned by chemical tests, the butter 

 made from the two rations was not greatly different. 



FEEDING EXPERIMENTS WITH SWINE. 



More or less experimental feeding with swine has been going on 

 at the station since the last report that was made of similar work 

 in 1890. These experiments have been practical rather than scien- 

 tific, and have not resulted as satisfactorily in all respects as was 

 desired. They have centered chiefly around two main considera- 

 tions : First, the relative economic value of several breeds of 

 swine, special attention being paid to the Tamworths, and to a 

 cross of this breed with the Berkshire ; second, the relative value 

 of the dry matter of skimmed milk and an equivalent amount of 

 digestible material from some nitrogenous vegetable food. 



The Tamworth swine used as a basis of these experiments were a 

 fine pair of these animals presented to the station by J. M. Sears, 

 Esq., of Boston, Mass., to whom the station is greatly indebted. 

 The female has produced several litters of pigs, and certain of these 

 have been used in the feeding tests. Crosses have also been secured 

 by the use of the Tamworth male and Berkshire females, and as 

 will be seen by the results obtained, these animals have proved to 

 be desirable. 



Three lots of animals have been grown from young pigs to a 

 marketable condition. The first lot included Cheshires, Jersey 

 Reds and White Chesters, the second lot Tamworths and Tam- 

 worth-Berkshires, and the third lot Tamworths, Berkshires and 

 Tarn worth-Berkshires . 



