FEEDING FOR MEAT 383 



and still not suffer ill effects, as would be the case with the 

 other farm animals. This has been unfortunate, because 

 probably no domestic species is more susceptible to 

 abnormal development through improper feeding than 

 are swine. It is true, at least, that no other species has 

 shown so marked a response to changes in the character 

 of the rations, through modifications of the bony struc- 

 ture and through variations in the proportions of muscle 

 and fat tissue. 



477. Influence of ration on the development of swine. 

 — ^Notable proof of the plasticity of the pig's organism 

 was supplied by the experiments of Sanborn and Henry 

 in comparing rations extremely nitrogenous with those 

 extremely carbohydrate in character. Pigs fed liberally 

 on blood, milk, and shorts combined with more or less 

 corn meal, made growth more rapidly, had stronger bones, 

 larger organs, and more muscular tissue than those fed 

 on corn meal or a mixture of corn ineal with other highly 

 non-nitrogenous materials, such as potatoes and tallow. 

 The latter combination was deficient both in protein and 

 in bone-forming compounds. Such marked differences 

 are not usually seen, because rations are not generally so 

 extremely one-sided. These experiments teach the 

 lesson, though, that as much care should be exercised in 

 choosing the pig's ration as the cow's. 



Experimental observations demonstrate that the pig's 

 ration should be selected with reference to supplying an 

 abundance of bone-making material and a reasonably 

 large proportion of protein. Evidence is not wanting 

 that the feeding of wood-ashes and ground bone to grow- 

 ing pigs promotes both a normal development of the 

 bony framework and a more liberal consumption of food. 

 Animals that are grazing may not need to have the ration 



