214 RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS IN SWINE FEEDING 
ordinary circumstances, it is the safe course. According to a 
compilation of experiment station results, by G. M. Rommel 
(Bulletin +7, U. S. Dept. of Agr.), the average saving effected 
by grinding small grains is 12.26 per cent, which is double the 
saving effected by grinding corn in the Wisconsin experiments. 
Wet vs. Dry Feed.—Considerable experimental work has 
been done with wet and dry feed, and results are very con- 
tradictory. On an average, the two methods of feeding show 
practically equal results. The writer’s experience is that when 
hogs can be fed dry meal in such a manner that they cannot 
waste it, they make as good use of it as when it is wet. There 
is more tendency to waste feed when fed dry, especially when 
many feed at the same trough. Troughs arranged so as to pre- 
vent crowding will tend to lessen waste. In cold pens, dry meal 
feeding has some advantages, a good ration is to mix dry meal 
with an equal weight of pulped roots. Under ordinary condi- 
tions, it is difficult to see much advantage from dry feeding. 
Soaking.—Soaking feed is another practice which seems 
to give variable results according to experimental data. There 
seems little doubt, however, that, in the case of dry hard grain 
fed whole, soaking is to be commended. As to meal, freshly 
mixed feed will likely give as good results as soaked feed. 
Fermenting.—The practice of fermenting feed for swine 
was formerly much more common than it is at present. In the 
ease of cottonseed meal, it will be remembered that the Texas 
Station recommends mixing the cottonseed meal with other 
meal and allowing the whole mass to sour. The New Hamp- 
shire Station obtained better results from fermented bran than 
from unfermented. With feeds well adapted to pig feeding, 
it is not likely that fermentation would be of any benefit. 
METHODS OF FEEDING. 
Self-feeders.— A self-feeder for hogs consists of a box or 
hopper so constructed that when filled with meal or other feed it 
