36 SWINE PRACTICE 



plies the protein, the percentage varying from one to twenty per 

 cent of tankage, depending upon the age of the liog and whether 

 or not lie is on a maintenance ration or is to be fattened. Blood 

 meal should be fed in a smaller pi portion than meat meal, as 

 it is more concentrated. 



Oil meal is a splendid nitrogenous feed for swine. It contains 

 only about one-half as much digestible protein as tankage and 

 therefore must be fed in larger quantities. This feed is especial- 

 ly valuable as a conditioner and a laxative, and is fed by a great 

 many breeders to sows just before farrowing. Shorts combined 

 with corn meal make a splendid ration for swine. Their value is 

 probably indicated by the fact that about 90 per cent of hog feed- 

 ers use shorts. Bran is a laxative and when properly combined 

 with shorts is a valuable feed. It contains muscle and bone-form- 

 ing elements but does not contain as high a percentage of nitro- 

 gen as some- of the foregoing feeds. There is such a variety of 

 commercial stock feeds designed for the purpose of fattening that 

 a detailed description of them does not seem advisable in a text 

 of this character. Cotton-seed meal is fed in considerable quanti- 

 ties in some sections of the country. There is, however, danger 

 in the use of this feed and it should be used guardedly by feed- 

 ers; otherwise, bad results are likely to follow. Alfalfa meal is a 

 splendid food. Iti is rather bulky and highly nitrogenous and 

 should be combined with some of the concentrated protein feeds, 

 when used. Peas, beans and peanuts are all valuable nitrogenous 

 foods. The specific combination that gives best results will depend 

 upon the type of pea or bean, but they will be found in practically 

 all instances to be highly nitrogenous. 



It has been found profitable in practically every community to 

 pasture hogs for a portion of the year. From all reports, it seems 

 probable that alfalfa pasture is the most desirable, but unfortunate- 

 ly it can not be grown in some sections. Not only is alfalfa 

 pasture of value in the growing of swine, but also alfalfa hay is 

 found to be of almost equal value, particularly if the alfalfa is cut at 

 the proper time. Red clover is almost as valuable as alfalfa and is 

 preferred in many locations because of the ease with which it is 

 cultivated. By test it has been found that one acre of red clover 

 pasture is worth as much as a ton of shorts. 



A few breeders are now resorting to sweet clover as a substitute 

 for alfalfa or for red clover. Rape is sometimes used for pasture, 



