decreased in accordance with the facts stated in tiie pic- 

 vioiis paragraph. This widening of the nutritive ratio has 

 shown itself advantageous, especially toward the end of 

 the fattening, in giving the fat a firmer consistency and 

 better quality, while the anhnals are not as liable to disease 

 as when they receive more highly nitrogenous fodder. 



The plan commonly pursued with swine is to feed a ricli 

 fodder from the first and thus carry on growth and fat- 

 tening together, and most experiments on the fattening of 

 swine have been made in this way. A consideration of the 

 rcbults of these experiments will be found in Chapter VI. 



Mineral Matters. — It contributes essentially to main- 

 taining the health of the animals to add daily a small 

 quantity (J — I oz. per head) of lixiviated chalk, or even of 

 leached wood-ashes, to the fodder. Such an addition to 

 the food of young fattening swine should never be omitted, 

 since their fodder is generally poor in lime, though rich in 

 phosphoric acid. (Compare Chapter YI.) 



Choice of Fodder. — The quantities of nutrients and 

 the nutritive ratio called for by the feeding standards may, 

 of course, be supplied by combinations of very various 

 feeding-stuffs. It is the part of the practical farmer to 

 make the most suitable and profitable choice among these. 

 But, although this work does not undertake to supply the 

 lack of experience, a few ponits may be mentioned ; as, for 

 example, th^it it has been the experience of German inves- 

 tigators that barley, maize, and peas (the latter mixed with 

 steaded potatoes), have produced excellent results, while 

 oats and bran, when fed in large quantities, have been much 

 less satisfactory. They have also found that feeding-stuffs 

 which of themselves are less suitable for swine, can be 

 made to produce better results by a moderate addition of 

 sour milk, or even of whey« 



