88 Feeds and Feeding. 



After being broken, tlie bones were burned to determine the 

 ash they contained. 



By the table we learn that feeding bone meal or hard-wood 

 ashes to pigs otherwise confined to a corn-meal diet effected a 

 saving of 23 per cent, in the corn required for 100 pounds of 

 gain. We farther find that by feeding hard-wood ashes or bone 

 meal to pigs otherwise living wholly on corn, the strength of the 

 thigh bones was about double that of pigs not allowed bone meal 

 or ashes. It was further found that when the bones were burned, 

 those of the pigs getting ashes or bone meal contained about 50 

 per cent, more ash than the others. This latter fact was sub- 

 stantiated in another interesting way. After burning, the bones 

 of the pigs which had received no ashes or bone meal crumbled 

 at once on handling, while those from the pigs fed ashes or bone 

 meal still retained their form after burning and did not crumble 

 when carefully handled. 



m. Influence of Wide and Narrow Rations on Growth and Fattening. 



116. The Maine Station trial. — At the Maine Station, * Jordan 

 conducted a trial with growing and fattening steers, beginning 

 with calves and feeding to maturity, for the purpose of deter- 

 mining the influence of a ration rich in protein and one relatively 

 poor in protein on the rate of growth and character of the flesh 

 produced. This is the most elaborate experiment of the kind 

 yet conducted in this country, having been wisely planned and 

 carefully carried out in all its numerous details. 



117. Plan of experiment. — Pour high-grade Short-horn steer 

 calves, ranging in age from 5 to 7 months when the trial began, 

 were used. Two of these calves were fed a ration rich in protein, as 

 given below, while the other two received one ample in its supply 

 of nutrients but relatively poor in protein. (133-5) After feed- 

 ing 17 months, one steer in each lot was slaughtered and the 

 carcasses analyzed; after ten months' more feeding, or 27 months 

 in all, the remaining two were slaughtered and the carcasses 

 likewise analyzed. The four steers were fed alike at all times on 

 roughage, which consisted mostly of timothy hay, some fodder 



1 Rept. 1895. 



