102 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



when they were about three months old. The rate of gain con. 

 tinned in this case to be satisfactory, and in marked contrast to 

 that of the animals eating corn meal alone. 



But the most accurate test of this question was with Lots 3 ard 

 4 during a period of eighty-eight days. Both lots ate the same 

 amount of corn meal, viz : 481 lbs. In addition to this Lot 3 con- 

 sumed 240 1-2 lbs. of pea meal, and Lot 4, 1,924 lbs. of skimmed 

 milk, it being estimated that these weights of pea meal and milk 

 contained equal amounts of digestible material. The growth of 

 Lot 3 was 174 lbs. and of Lot 4, 181 lbs., a difference of only 

 seven pounds. In other words 568.5 lbs. of digestible matter, one- 

 third of which came from pea meal, produced practically the same 

 growth as 565.2 lbs. digestible matter, one third of which came 

 from skimmed milk. 



The Effect of the Amount of Drink Upon Growth 



The results of certain past investigations are to the effect that 

 excessive drink is prejudicial to growth or fattening, by causing 

 increased protein or fat consumption in the body. Swill fed pigs 

 or those eating skimmed milk exclusively, certainly take large 

 quantities of drink. Is growth materially diminished, thereby ? 

 This Station has made a single experiment bearing on this point, 

 the data of which are already given. 



When the experiment began the animals averaged in weight 38 

 lbs. apiece. At the end of 120 days they weighed 135 lbs. apiece. 

 During this time one lot of two pigs drank 1,319 lbs. of skimmed 

 milk, and the other, 1,319 lbs. of milk and 1,319 lbs. of water, the 

 meal ration being the same in the two cases. The amount of 

 drink was at first 5 lbs. and 10 lbs., and these quantities were grad- 

 ually increased. For the last 50 days of the experiment Lot 3 

 had 15 lbs. of drink daily and Lot 4, 30 lbs, this being at the rate 

 of 3.6 quarts and 7.2 quarts for animals weighing during this period 

 an average of 111 lbs. In the whole time of 120 days Lot 4 

 receiving the larger amount of drink gained 10 lbs. less than Lot 

 3, and in the last 50 days the difference was 5 lbs. in favor of Lot 

 3. The only safe assertion which can be made concerning the out- 

 come of this experiment is that the difference in the amount of 

 drink had no pronounced effect on the profits of feeding. 



