30 SOME EXPERIMENTS IN PIG-FEEDING. 


increase in live weight was obtained with 0°4 lbs. less meal 
than when maize was substituted. If Lot I. is contrasted 
with Lot III., it will be seen that the higher albuminoid 
ration given to the former yielded a greater increase in live 
weight, but the total pork was about the same in each case. 
The most marked feature of the experiment is, however, 
the contrast in the results obtained with Lots III. and IV. 
The pigs in each of these lots received the same kinds of 
food, but the quantity of water mixed with the ration of 
Lot III. was double that given with the food of Lot IV. It 
will be noticed that the pigs which received the drier ration 
yielded 124 lbs. more increase in total live weight, 7°3 stones 
more pork, and produced each pound of increase with a con- 
sumption of o'8 lbs. less meal. The extra food taken by 
Lot III. was therefore, as Professor Campbell points out, 
evidently wasted in heating up the large supply of water 
which the pigs were obliged to consume. 
The conclusions drawn from the experiment are ‘“‘that the 
mixture of barley meal and sharps is better than barley meal 
and maize; that the latter mixture may be somewhat 
improved by the addition of a highly nitrogenous meal; and, 
finally, that a great deal of food may be wasted, particu- 
larly in winter, when pigs are fed upon focd containing more 
water than is necessary for the requirements of the body.” 
It appears that the ration given to Lot IV. cost about 19s. 
more during eight weeks than that given to Lot III., but the 
value of the increased weight of pork of Lot IV. was 42s. 6d., 
thus leaving a balance of 23s. 6d. in favour of the drier food. 
Professor Campbell points out that the period during which 
the pigs were on different diets was only eight weeks, and 
that had the experiment been prolonged the results would 
undoubtedly have been more marked. 
The feeding experiments with which Mr. Harris’ article 
deals were carried out at Calne with the aid of the Wilts 
County Council and with other local assistance. Up to the 
present sixty-four experiments, involving twenty-four diets, 
have been undertaken with 640 pigs, and of thes2 twenty- 
four diets nine have been eniployed on an average three 
times each, so that the results obtained, which are embodied 
in the table given below, may be regarded as fairly reliable. 
