Purchase of Farm and Garden Seeds. 



519 



ratio of 1 to 4, and the pigs were given all they would eat of 

 the mixture. For thirty-one days Lot I. was fed with the maize- 

 meal ration, and Lot II. with the rice-meal ration. Then for 

 a second period of twenty-two days the rations were reversed. 

 Considering the test as a whole, the average daily gain per 

 pig on rice-meal and skim milk was 172 pounds ; the cost of 

 a pound of gain being just under 2d., while 2*48 pounds of 

 meal and 9-91 pounds of milk were required per pouni of 

 gain. On maize-meal and skim milk the average daily gain 

 per pig was r66 pounds ; the cost of a pound of gain a little 

 over 2±d. ; and the food required per pound of gain 2.57 

 pounds of meal and 10*28 pounds of skim milk. Rice-meal 

 thus had a feeding value equal to or greater than maize- 

 meal. Some feeders have noticed that the use of rice-meal 

 for fattening hogs had a tendency to weaken the intestines, 

 but the test described above affords no data on the subject, 

 as neither lot of pigs was fed on rice-meal for the whole of 

 the time. 



Some years ago the Massachusetts Station compared rice- 

 meal and maize-meal as a feed for pigs in a test made with two 

 lots of three pigs each, covering four months. The pigs 

 were about i|- months old at the beginning of the trial. At 

 first the amount of grain given was about four ounces per 

 quart of skim milk, the quantity being increased as the pigs 

 grew older. The average daily gain per head on rice-meal 

 was 1*41 pounds, and on maize-meal 1 '4 2 pounds. The amounts 

 of food eaten per pound of gain were also practically the same 

 in both cases. From these tests the conclusion was drawn 

 that the two feeding stuffs had practically the same value for 

 pigs. The rice-meal appeared, however, slightly less digest- 

 ible than maize-meal, but in most respects it appears to be so 

 nearly equal as to be worthy of attention where it may 

 be easily obtained. 



U.S. Dep. of Agr. Fanners Bulletin, No. 144 ] 



The Purchase of Farm and Garden Seeds. 

 From information they have received the Board of Agri- 

 culture consider it desirable to call the attention of purchasers 



