Results of soft-pork investigations, ii 
27 
Weights of pigs used. — The actual range of starting weights of the 
29 pigs was from 24 to 62 pounds, inclusive, with an average initial 
weight of 37.14 pounds. 
Firmness of carcasses. — The 29 hogs made gains on soy beans with 
supplements of from 38 to 69 pounds, inclusive, and gains on the 
hardening ration of from -47 to 168 pounds, inclusive. The hogs 
were divided into groups according to the gains made on the corn 
and tankage ration, as follows: Group 2, to 49 pounds; Group 3, 
50 to 99 pounds ; Group 4, 100 to 149 pounds ; Group 5, 150 pounds 
and over, Group 1 being an average for all 29 hogs. The weights, 
gains, days fed, committee graclings, and refractive indexes of back 
and leaf fats were averaged for each group and the results are shown 
in Table 10. 
Table 10. — Average weights, gains, feeding periods, gradings, and refractive 
indexes of back and leaf fats of 29 hogs fed corn icith tankage following soy 
beans supplemented with a medium (1.8 per cent) ration of shelled com, and 
by groups, according to increasing gains on the hardening ration 
Number of hogs and 
gain on corn and 
tankage 
All hogs (29) 
Gain, to 49 pounds, 
on corn and tankage 
(2) 
Gain, 50 to 99 pounds, 
on corn and tankage 
(15) 
Gain, 100 to 149 pounds, 
on corn and tankage 
(9) 
Gain, 150 pounds and 
over, on corn and 
tankage (3) 
Grading 
(average I Initial 
and dis- | weight 
tribution) : 
H (3H) 
34.00 
41.00 
Gain on- 
Soy 
beans 
with 
corn 
Pounds 
53.79 
44.00 
57.20 
51.78 
49.30 
Corn 
with 
tank- 
age 
Pounds 
96.34 
47.50 
76.73 
118. 67 
160. 00 
Days on feed 
Soy 
beans 
with 
corn 
62.21 
56.00 
64.00 
62.67 
Corn 
with 
tank- 
57.45 
28.00 
44.27 
77.11 
Slaugh- 
ter 
weight 
Pounds 
173.00 
115.50 
157. 47 
190.55 
56.00 84.00 236.30 1.4599 1.4591 
Refractive index 
Back 
fat 
1.4602 
1.4610 
1.4604 
1. 4599 
Leaf 
fat 
1. 4595 
1. 4596 
1. 4597 
1. 4592 
1 The initial letters in this column = S, soft; MS, medium soft; MH, medium hard; H, hard. 
The average carcass grading and refractive index of back fat 
for the 29 hogs were medium soft and 1.4602, respectively. In 
other words, neither the hard nor medium-hard degree of firmness 
Avas reached by these hogs, as an average, although a gain of 96.34 
pounds on corn and tankage followed the gain of 53.79 pounds on 
the soy-beans-corn ration. Referring to Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the 
table it is seen that with increasing gains on corn and tankage 
there was increasing firmness in the carcasses. In Group 2, where 
practically equal gains were made during the softening and hard- 
ening periods, the average carcass grading was soft, with a refrac- 
tive index of 1.4610. Group 3 gained 76.73 pounds on corn and 
tankage following 57.2 pounds on the softening ration, making a gain 
ratio of 1 : 1.34. There was a distinct improvement over the preced- 
