BULLETIN No, 122.

JANUARY,

1903.

ALABAMA.

Agricultural Experiment Station
OF THE.

AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE,
AUBURN.

Grazing and Feeding Experimelts with Pigs..
By J. F. DUIGGAR.

BROWN PRINTING CO., PRINTERS & BINDERS.

MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1903.

COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION. THos. WILLIAMS.....................................Wetumpka. JONATHAN HARALSON....................................Selma. STATION COUNCIL C. C. B. THACH ..................... President and Acting Director.

B. Ross..........................................Chemist.

C. A. CARY.......................................Veterinarian.
J.

F. DUGGAR .....................................

Agriculturist.

E. M.. W cox........................................Biologist. R. S. MAcINToS... ............................ Horticulturist. Chemist.

J. T. ANDERSON.................................Associate ASSISTANTS. *C. L. HARE ...............................

First Assistant Chemist.

A. McB. RANSON.................... Acting First Assistant Chemist. T. BRAGG................................ J.. C. PHELPS............................. T. U. CULVER..............................
J

Second Assistant Chemist. Third Assistant Chemist.
Superintendent of Farm. Assistant in Animal Industry.

MJ

JONES .........................

*On leave of absence.

The Bulletins of this Station will be sent free to any citizen of the State on application to the Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama.

GRAZING AND FEEDING EXPERIMENTS WiTH PIGS. By J. F.
DUGGAR.

Summary. Pigs maide a more economical growth weaning than did sow and pigs just before weaning time. -The* following plants were tested ashog food, the hogs doing the harvesting; these plants are available for use in the months indicated: Spanish peanuts, August to, December. Chufas, Novemiber to' March. Cowpeas, July to, November. Sweet potatoes, August to November. Sorghum, July to, November. Vetch and oats, March, April and May. Dwarf Essex rape (spring sown), May and June. Dwarf Essex rape (fall sown), December, January, February, March, and part of April. most case's it was necessary to' feed, in addition to the above crops, from o'ne-fourth to' one-half of the usual r'ation of grain. If w'e assume that this grain 5 pounds was required to pro'duce one pound o'f increase in live weight, we have left, the following amount of growth o'f sho'ats attributable t&o owe acre o'f each crop after deducting the gains! to' the grain consumed. Peanuts (with grain) in 7' tests averaged 333 pounds of gro vth, now worth $16.65. Peanuts alone in 2 tests: averaged 281 po'unds, worth $14.05.

just after

Lan

o'f

due

Chufas in 2 tests averaged 307 pounds, worth $15.35. 'Cowpeas in 2 tests averaged 229 pounds, worth$11.45. Essex rape in 2 tests averaged 452 pounds, worth $22.50. Sorghum in 2 tests, averaged 174 pounds, worth $8.70. One acre of the best of these crops,(peanuts, rape, and chufas) afforded pasturage for one month for at least 25 100-pound shoats, when a half ration of grain was fed. The average amounts of grain required to make one pound of growth on shoafts, consuming also the crops below, were as follows.: 1.77 pounds of grain with 2.30 pounds of grain with 3.07 pounds of grain with 2..68 pounds of grain with 3.70 pounds of grain with 3.13 pounds of grain with peanuts; chufas; cowpeas; rape ; sorghum; sweet potatoes.

Pigs grazing on sorghum, fully headed out, ate only 12 per cent less grain per pound of growth than those supported entirely on corn. Shoats fed on a mixture of corn meal 'and of 20 or 25 per cent cotton seed mieal in most experiments ate but little food and made very slow growth. In other

etxperiments

they required only 3.84 and 4.68 pounds

of this mixture per pound of growth. The feeding of cotton seed meal as part of the grain ration for 34 to 38 days in most cases had ai poisonous
effect on shoats weighing from

No ill effect

59 to

118

poundjs

each.

was noticed prior to the thirty-third day

and some pigs showed no perceptible ill effects on the thirty-second day.

Cotton seed meal caused death or sickness of shoats when constituting oine-fifth or one-fourth of the grain ration whether the cotton seed meal mixture was fled alone or in connection with a bountiful supply of green sorghum or peanuts. Calculated on a basis of 100 pounds live weight, daily doses of .25, .40, .41 and .53 of a pound of cottoin seed meal for 34 to 38 days, caused sickness or death; .61 a pound daily for 35 days fed in different years to shoats of practically the same size caused evident unthrift in one '-experiment,- while in the other no immediate effects were discernible. Shoats averaging 143 pounds in weight were not hu;r't by eating 31 days .73 a pound oaf cottoin seed meal daily 100 pounds livei weight. Evidently the younger the pig the more susceptible they are to cottion seed meal poisoning. The health of shoats was injuriously affected or death resulted, where, in an exclusive mixed grain ration, the amount of coitton seed meal consumed per 100 pounds of live weight reached, with the smallest shoats L3.2 pounds,,and.with larger shoats, 21.4 pounds; while in a tihird experimeznt 21.5 pounds of cotton seed meal was consumed peir hundred weight without immediate

of

of

per

for

evidences of.

injury,

pounds per 100

-pounds, of

and in a fourth experiment. 22.6
live weight was consumed

without visible. effects on the health of large sho'ats.

Where

a cotton seed meal mixture was fed in connec-

tion with grazed sorghum, cut sorghum, or grazed: pearnuts, toxic effects were manifested when respectively 21.,6, 18.9 and 17.7 pounds of cotton seed meal per hundred weight had been consumed. obtained highly

when some cotton seed meal was fed for short periods to shoats while grazing peanuts. Peanuts fed up-to the date of slaughter made a very
satisfactory growth

We

solfti lard. Chufas softened the lard to an almost equal degree.

6 The feeding of grain of any of the kinds tested to pigs .whose flesh had previously been softened by feeding on peanuts greatly solidified the lard, but the exclusive feeding of grain for 26 to 35 days just before butchering failed to' make the flesh lard as firm as that of pigs which had never consumed peanuts. a mixture was fed containing 20 or 25 per cent o'f cotton seed meal and the remainder corn meal, the melting point of the lard was 3.4 degrees F. higher than when only corn; meal was fed. Rice bran was not relished by hogs and it did not afford rapid growth. Rice polish in 5 experiments proved superior to'corn meal. One pound of growth required only 3.73 pounds of rice polish as compared with 4.74 pounds of corn meal. Hence 78.6 pounds of polish were equal to100 pounds of corn meal for shoats. Corn, hearts proved decidedly inferior to corn meal, and to colwpea, meal. Skim.. milk in moldeiate amount saved about half of the usual quantity of grain in the ration of shoats.

and

When

INTRODUCTORY.

Hogs are profitable property. Now that the prices of live hogs and o'f meat are unusually high this lesson is being brought ho'me most forcefully. Ho'gs were
profitable

even

when they

sold on

f oot at 3 to

3-1

cents

a pouwnd as they did locally when our earlier experiments, published in Bulletins. Nos. 82 and 93 of this station, were under way.

Whatever

the. price o'f ho'gs

to the maximum

profit

or, of pork

it is necessary

that we make sparing use of

corn in most*portions of the Gulf States. econo'mize in the use of corn,, not by

stinting

We need

to

the total

amount of food off er'ed, but by making use of other crops which cani be grown on certain soils at less expense or which are more effective foods. To ascertain the relative pork-producing values o'f some of the special hog flesh and lard crops and their effect o'n the quality has been the principal aim of most of the experiments in this bulletin. These experiments herein recorded extend over a period of four years. During the first year of this. period the details o'f feeding and weighing were in the hands of Mr. T. U. Culver. During the last three years the work has been done by Mr. R. W. Clark, this part recently Assistant Agriculturisto'f this. Station. Tot botch of these acknowledgements are due for cordial cooperation and for faithful services. The results of seven years' experiments in growing special hog crops enable us to suggest a succession of crops of proven value to, be harverted by hogs, to, which others.when list, we hope to' be able to add a number they have beetn further tested, among them being falfa,, artichokes, pumpkins aid soy beans. Succession of hay crops.

of

of

of

al-

Months when used. January and February... March 1, to April ... April ....... May . .... ....

Crops.

Fall-sown rape and chufas.

Fall-sown rape, vetch and oats, rye, wheat, etc. Vetch and oats, crimson clover, oats and wheat Spring-sown rape, vetch and oats, wheat and the usual pastures. June......... Spring rape, stubble turf oats and the usual pastures. July and August..... Sorghum, early varieties of cowpeas, and the usual pastures. September, October and November .. Spanish peanuts, cowpeas, sweet potatoes and sorghum.

15.

fields,

December

..

.

chuf as and fall-sown

rape.

Among these special hog crops attention is here directed to Dwarf Essex rape, because it is so little known, so palatable, so' nutritious and because it can effectively used at once to relieve', to some extent,.the prlesent scarcity of corn. For the successful growth rape the land must be as rich and as highly fertilized as for turnips, and preparation, sowing and cultivation are the same as with that crop,'except that rape is not -thinned. Sow 3 to 5 pounds of seed per acre in narrow drills between. September 20 and October 20. Seed are cheap, 10 to, 12 cents pler pound, and they are sold by all seedsm'en. have also sown rape in March, getting hog pasturage in May and June. In the summary the present local price of hogs, 5 cents per pound, has been used in estimating the value of one ;acre of each crop, when converted in the body o'f the bulletin use has been made of the local price prevailing at the time when each experiment was made. We can estimate the increase in- live weight due to one acre of' so'me special crop only by calculating the probable approximate~ amount of growth due, to' the grain fed. Th'e amount of grain -required, when fed

beso of

We

into'pork.-ilowever,

to proiduce onet pound of growth varies of course ments is no't very far' fro'm five pounds.
alone,

with

mnzy conditions, -but the average- of m'any expferi-

In assuming this figure we have; sacrificed str'ict accuracy to uniformity and clear' presenltation'l. Those who
prefer

to, use a, different facto'r will find it possible from

the date in thei bo'dy o'f this bulletin to calculate the net gains per acre~ of hog crop, whatever factor they select.

GROWTH OF PIGS BEFORE AND

AFTER WEANING.

On farms, where dairying is an important industry and where there is an ab'undancei of ski milk for sow and littter, it is not unnsual for the brood sow to' nurse a litter pigs without herself losing weight. In the .absence of skim milk we find that the sow generally loses in weight, however bountiful the supply of and green material. For example in the period between farrowing, February 24, 1899, and the beginning of the experiment April 1, a, sow lost 29.6 pounds, and her litter of 7 pigs gained 67.3 pounds. During this time sow and pigs were- kept in a. hare lot and fed.amixture equal weights of ground cowpeas and a very coarse grade of rice meal, which in this case consisted largely of

of

grain

of

ground rice chaff. This sow

The amount of

this, mixture

con-

sumed in this time was 273 pounds,.

and her, seven pigs were co'nfined
At the end

by means

of hurdles. or movable panels on. a field! where vetch

and turf oats gr'ew together.
period,

May 6, the sow was removed and the pigs,, now

of a five weeks'

10 weeks old, were continued on the same character' pasture three weeks longer, or until May 27. The herbage was mnor'e tender and succulent in the earlier periods, though its weight per acre was greater' in the later pie niod. The grain fed to the sow and pigs while they grazed on vetch pasture was, corn, meal.

of

10 (ains made and food consumed before and after weaning.
Before weaning. Per week. After weaning. .Per
k.

5 weeks.

week.
Lbs. 18.5 81.3*

Lbs. Lbs. Growth made by 7 pigs............ 113.60 22.70 Loss in weight of sow.............. 19.40 38 Net gain in weight of sow & pigs. 9.20 182........ Meal consumed by sow* & pigs .. 554 20 110.8 Lb. meal per lb. growth of pigs.. II~4.88......44.... Ls. meal per lb. net gain of sow and pigs. ....................... 5.88...... Area of pasture grazed; square ft (8550) (1710) Total weigbt of sow and pigs at beginning of period.............350.30..................... Total weight of 7 pigs at the beginning of each period.......... 118.60.....:.322 *Only pigs during last 3 weeks.

Lbs. 55.40 244.00* ...... (3858.)

(1286)

A pound of growth was made with less meal, 4.40 after weaning ; before weaning it 4.88 pounds, of corn meal for each pound of growth or if we deductsfrom the gains made by the pigs the decrease in the weight of the sow, we find that it required
pounds

required

5.88 poiunds meal make one pound of growth of pigs. This is a very unsatisfactory rate of growth and probably due, at least in part, to

sow aud
cient

of

to

insuffi-

shade.

Growth vetclh and oats after grazing-As stated. above., the pigs just after weaning were penned on a. mixture of hairy vetch' and turf oats, sown the previons; October on poor upland soil. Both oats and vetch had been delayed i gro'wth and otherwise injured bythe unprecedented cold of February, 1899. Moreover,. the vetch had been injured by root-knot. While penned on the vetch and oats the weaned pigs

of

11 required, as stated in a, preceding table 4.4 pounds of corn, meal to make one pound of growth, in addition the pasturage. It is interesting to, note that on the areas grazed over prior to April 21 the vetch made, after the pigs were removed, sufficient, second gr'owth afford about twofifths of a normal crop of excellent hay, the average yield of second-growth hay on the plots grazedbetween these dates being 1,278 pounds per acre. The vetch should be credited with part of the growth made by the pigs, with the hay producedi as a second growth, and with the improvement o'f the fertility of the land which was very marked as measured by the growth of silage corn planted in June of the same year.

to,

to'

DWARF ESSEX RSAPE AS FOOD FOR SHOATS.

Frolm M1Iay 27 to June 23 ,1899, these same seven shoats were maainitained on drilled greenrape and corn meal. During the first. two. weeks the rape was pulled and carried to the shoatis,- while during the latter period
the rape

was

grazed.

The four weeks.o'f rape feeding

will be. treated as o'ne period. The seven sho'ats averaged in weight at the beginning of this period 41 pounds each. Thel area. of drilled rape us'ed was 4190 square feet; corn meal. was fed each day, averaging 1.62 pounds per pig per day, or 317.6. pounds for the seven pigs in twenty-eight days. Th'e increase in was 103 pounds. ilence make one pound o'f gr'owth required 3.1 po'unds o'f corn mealand 40.5 square feet of rape pasture. This is at rate of 1078 pounds of growth fo'r o'ne acre o'f rape and 3324 pounds of corn meal., If we that shoats of this size fed on corn meal alone 5 _pounds of this grain would have been re-

weight

to,

the

assume

for'

12 quired for each pound of growth, the acre of rape would be credited with producing alone 413 pounds of growth, worth, at 4 cents per pound, $16.52. In addition, the raipe which hiad been grazed made a second growth which was ready for pasturing within a month after the removal of the shoats, but which was ruined by the, iairlequin cabbage bugs, or "calico backs," before it could be utilized. The soil in which this patch of rape grew would be classed as sandy bottom land of medium grade. Let us turn aside here from the history of this litter of pigs, which we may call litter M, to describe some tests of raple made in 1900 and 1901.
RAPE AS WINTER PASTURAGE FOR PIGS.

Dwarf Essex Ralpe sowin in drills on sandy upland, October 13, 1900, was ready for pastuT'age January 6, 1901, when four pigs from litter O, weaned three weeks before, were confined on it with hurdles which were
moved about once a week. The first growth of rape af-

forded pasturage until March 28. The second growth, on land previously grazed over, afforded' pasturage from March 28 to April 18. Throughout the whole period that the pigs were on rape they received also about a half ration of corn meal. Less rapid and more expensive gains were made in March, when the plants had become tough and ready to seed, than during January and February. The most rapid and economical growth was made during the brief period while the succulent second growth was being consumed.

13

Weight of 4 pigs January 6................130 Weight of 4 pigs March 28.................311

lbs. lbs.

lbs. Gain in 81 days :..........................181 Corn meal consumed in 81 days...........524 lbs. Pounds meal per pound growth............2.9 lbs. .13912 sq. ft. Area of 1st growth rape grazed...

This is at the rate of 570 pounds of growth in live weight afforded by o'ne acre of first-growth rape assisted by 1641 pounds of corn meal. If we assume that 5 pounds of corn meal made one pound of growth we have left, 242 pounds of live weight, worth $9.68, to'be credited) to one acre of first-growth rape. havMarch 28, the rape having begun to' blossom ing become] relatively unpalatable, the hurdles were placed about the rape grazed in January and part of February, on which the second growth was by this in good condition for p'asturage, though small. On this second growth the pigs remained three weeks, meantine consuming the crop' on one-sixth acre and eating 168 pounds of corn meal.

and

time

The growth

made

during these three weeks was 82

pounds, or one pound of growth fo'r only 2.05 pounds of meal, which figure indicates that the pigs must have derived about half their sustenance from the green crop. One acre of s'econd gro'wth rape assisted by 1008 pounds of co'rn meal resulted in a growth o'f 492 pounds.
If we~ again assume a normal requirement of

five pounds

o'f grain for one of growth we have 290 pounds o'f increase in live weight, worth $11.60, as the value of an acre o'f second crop rape when converted into po'rk. It is fair to add together the gains made on an acre each of first gro'wth and o'f seco'nd growth, since part of the area was grazed twice. This gives a growth of 512 pounds of po'rk then worth $20.48, as attributable

14 to an acre of rape grazedi twice. This is on the assump, tion that it would require 5 pounds of an.exclusive grain ration to produce' a pound of growth. GRAZING SORGHUM, FIRST EXPERIMENT. Let us now return to the history of litter M, which had grazed on rape until June 23, 1899. This litter of seven shoats was grazed on fro'm June 24 to, September 2, 1899, meantime receiving daily a very small amount, alboiut 1-1pounds per day per shoat a mixture of equal weightsof cowpea meal and corn meal. During this time the seven shoats made an aggregate gain of 22.44 poundsi and utilized 15,374 square feet of drilled and cultivated sorghum, and also grazed the second growth on 8380 square feet; or about half of this same plot. The grain meantime consumed was 812 pounds by the lots of seven shoats, or 3.6 punds of grain for each pound of increase in live weight. This is equal to' a gain of 635 pounds of live weight

sorghum

of

per acre of sorghum, assisted. by 2298 pounds of grain.

Assuming that if the grain had been' fed alone 5 pounds would have been. required to, produce one piound of growth, we have left 195 plunds of growth attributable to one acre of growth sorghum and to about half of the second growth on, the same. At 4 cents pier pound 195 pounds of growth gives a

first

return of

$7.80 ler

acre of sorghum.

Doubtless the value, of an acre of sorghum would have been considerably greater if the second growth
on entire area, instead of on half of it, had been utilized. It was noticed the shoats required per

the

that,

week about twice as large an area of second growth as of first growth sorghum.

15

and

During a small portion of the time covered by this experiment sorghum cut and carried to, the pigs when this was done a given area lasted much longer than when hogs were turned in to graze, in which ease the waste o'f green food, bitten down and not consumed, was excessive. labor is' abundant and cheap or where the use of a, corn harvester is possible it is believed that it will pay to cut and carry the, sorghum to the pigs rather than to, graze it:. When shoiats averaging about 80 pounds received only and one-half pounds o'f grain a day per head and were r'equire'd to, make growth chiefly on sorghum, the trae of gain was slow, being a, little more than half a pound per day. The sorghum when grazed was at the stages of growth between early bloom and complete maturity and most feet high. The yield was rather ,of it was about light, the land being poor, sandy upland, moderately fertilized. The sorghum used in all our' grazing experiments has been drilled and cultivated.

was

Where

,one

five

THE VALUE OF

SPANISH PEANUTS AS PASTURnAGE FOR PIGS.

In Bulletin No. 93 of this Station the writer has recorded the very satisfactory results of several experiments in grazing pigs peanuts 1897. The results below confirm the conclusions which we have expressed' as great value of peanuts as food for

on

In,

to' the

her'etofore

hogs.
Peanuts and corn

September 1, 1899, was penned on Spanish peanuts November 4, after weaning. There was only about two;thirds of a stand of peanuts.

meal. -A

litter of pigs farrowed

16 The total increase of live weight up to, December 23 was 298 pounds, during which time 482 pounds corn meal was consumed or 1.62 pounds grain per pound of growth. The area grazed over was 34,944 square feet, or nearly five-sixths of an acre. This is equal to' a gain of 371.4 pounds of live weight from one acre of peanuts assisted by 601 pounds of corn meal. If we assume that it required 5 pounds grain produce one pound of growth and subtract this amount; of pork we have left 251 pounds of live weight attributable exclusively to a poor crop of peanuts,, on one acre. With pork worth 4 cents per pound gross this gives a value o'f $10.04 to an acre of peanuts converted into poirk.

of

of

to,

of

increase in

30 Peanats, corn meal and milk.-From to November 4, 1899, account was kept of the food consumed b'y a sow and litter of 9 pigs farrowed tember 2. Thee food consumed during these five weeks was as follows :

September' Sep-

3,55 pounds corn meal at 1 cent..............$3.55 2.30 921 pounds skim milk at 4 cent............... Total ......... ........ ................ $5.85

In addition to above fooid, Spanish peanuts from one-fourth acre of land were also fed. During this time the sow made a gain of 9 pounds, showing that oin a sufficiently- nutritious and palatable diet the weight the nursing so'w can be maintained. The pigs made a gain of 226.5 pounds. The total gain of sow and pigs was 235.5 pounds, making the cost of grain and skim milk for o'ne pound of growth 2.5 cents. Assuming that one pound of growth of sow and pigs

the

of

requires

5 pounds' of grain in a ration like this, and

17 that, as in certain Wisconsin lexperiments, 3 pounds of skim milk are equal to, one pound of com, we flid that per acre of peanuts, assisted by 2552 pounds grain or its equivalent there was made an increase 942 pounds in live weight. Deducting the amount attributable to the grain, 510 pounds, we have a balance of 432 pounds of pork the equivalent of oneacre.of peanuts, then worth, at 4 cents; per plound, $17.28.

of of

-as

Peanuts and corn meal for shoats in1902.-Another litter of 7 shoats was penned on Spanish peanuts from October 11, 1902 to, November' 2, 1902. Their average weight at the beginning was nearly 100 pounds each. They made a growth 224.5 pounds while consuming 286 pounds of colrn meal and the peanuts on .47 of au acre. To produce a pound of growth required only 1.3 pounds of corn meal. This gain isat the rate of 486 pounds of live pork per acre peanuts assisted by 632 pounds of corn weal. Assuming that five poiunds of grain would make one pound of growth we have left 360.5 pounds of growth which we may attribute toy one acre of pleainluts alolne. These shoats were sold after further experimental feeding and brought five cents on: foot, making the acre peanuts worth $18.02.

of

of

of

Gains made

by

very

small pigs on peanuts alone.

A litter o'f seven Poland China pigs, was weaned Septenmber 4, 1901, and immediately hurdled on Spanish peanuts. After a week allowed for them to become accustomed to, their new food, the experiment proper' began, and continued for six weeks, during which time no' grain

was fed.
2

Th'e initial weight averaged 28.1 pounds. The

18 gains in six weeks aggregated 156.5 pounds, which is at the rate of a little more than half a pound per day per pig. The area grazed was 13, 887 square feet. This is -equivalent ,to' a, gain-of 503 pounds of live pork per acre of peanuts, worth, with pork 4 cents, $20.12. taken: from peanuts October 31, 1901, one of these pigs, No'. 12, ways butchered and the melting point of the lard determined.

When

at

corn meal in 1899.-On September 2, 1899, a. lot of seven shoats previously supported on sorghum and on' a diet o'f corn and cowpeas (see p. was transferred from sorghum to, Spanish peanuts, and to iake a properly balanced ration the was changed to corn meal. During the next four weeks the lot of seven pigs made gains of 120.7 pounds while consuming 333 pounds of corn meal and the peainuts on 10,593 square feet. This is at the rate of 496 pounds of growth produced by an acre of peanuts assisted by 1356 pounds of corn meal. If 5 pounds of grain alone would have produced one po'undtlo'f growth there remains 225 pounds of pork, worth $9.00, as the value o~f an acre of peanuts converted into pork. Beisides the peanuts there was required 2.73 pounds' of corn meal to' produce a pound of gro'wth. Aweek after the close of this per'iod these seven pigs,
and

Peanuts

14)

grain

all of one litter, wer'e

divided into' several lots,
together

one lot

continuing to' graze on peanuts, a second lot grazing on chufas with grain as stated further' on, a; third lot being penne~d and fed o'n a, mixture of cotton seed meal and
corn meal, and the remaining pig with one off

a diff erent, litter being fed in a pen on cor'n meal alone.

19 S.Peanuts and corn meal in 1899, second period.-For five weeks certain of these pigs were hurdled on a field of Spanish peanuts. During the last three weeks of this grazing period they gained in weight at the rate o'f 293 pounds per acre of peanuts, assisted by 274 pounds of corn meal, or o'ne pound of growth for .94 of a, pound of corn meal. Crediting the corn meal as before we have left 247 pounds of pork, then worth $9.88, as apparently attributable to, one acre of peanuts.
GAINS MADE BY YOUNG PIGS ON CHUFAS.

From November 19 to, December 17, 1898, nine Berkshire pigs were hurdled on a, field of chufas where there was only a poor stand of plants. They were also fed a little grain, mixed corn and cowpea meal, of which only 262 pounds was fed during the four weeks. The increase in weight was 121.1 pounds and the area grazed over' was 7986 square feet. This is at the rate of 660 pounds of live pork pier acre of chufas assisted by 1429 pounds of grain or one pound of growth for 2.17 pounds of grain. Attributing one pound of growth to five pounds of grain we have left 374 pounds of increase in live weight as apparently due to one acre of peanuts alone. Hogs were then selling at 3 cents per' pound on foot, so that the acre of chufas when converted into po'rk was worth $13.09.
PEANUTS VERSUS CHtUFAS VERSUS MIXED GRAIN.

Four lots of pigs (from litters N and P.) were fed for twenty-five days, October 19 to November 13, 1900, as follows: Lot A.-Spanish peanuts, grazed, and a half ration of mixed grain.

20 Lot B.-Spanish peanuts grazed, without grain. Lot C.-Chufas grazed and a half ration of mixed grain. Lot D.-Mixed grain alone, fed in hare lot, as much grain as shoats would clean up. ,The grain fed to, Lots A. C. and D., consisted of onethird by weight of ground cowpeas and two-hirds ground corn. The table bellow gives the data for the last 18 days of the experiment, the preceding week being regarded as preliminary as needed to fully accustom all lots to their food. At the beginning of the.experiment proper lots A, B, C, and D, weighed respectively 363, 256, 318 and 392 pounds.

and

Growth made by each lot of 3 pigs and in 18 d".-Ay
Lot. Area grazed.
___________weight.

food consumed
Incr'ase Lbs. grain in live for 1 lb.
growth. Lbs. Lbs.

FooD.

Grain eaten.

A
B C,

Square ft.Lbs Spanish peanuts, grazed 8,344 ~~~Mixed grain, %2 ration

12,A48
7,937

152s81
2..........

.8
79

Spanish

peaniuts, grazed ....

Chufas, grazed ....

D .............

Mixed grain, %2ration.. Mixed grain, full ration

152 304

70

1.92
4.31

5

Chufas

equality,

and when half a ration of grain was fed with.

and

ipeanuts in this test were nearly on an

either theire was required only 1.92 or 1.88 pounds of grain to produce one pound of groth. As compared with the exclusive grain ration this represents a saying of 56 per cent of the grain by the use of either chufas or peanuts. Spanish peanuts without grain afforded a very slow growth, and the increase in live weight wais only 761

21 pounds for each acre of peanuts. This is an abnormally poor returns and due' in part to'thepo'or growth and poor' stand of peanuts. live pork, at; 4 cents per pound this gives only $3.03 as the returns per, acre when nograin was fed, a result entirely unsatisfactory. A much larger return was, made when peanuts were supplemented with a half ration of grain. lot the gain due jointly to' o'ne acre of peants and to' 791 pounds of corn was; 423 pounds of live pork. Dividing the amount of grain fe'd to this lot by 4.31, the amount required per pound of growth when nothing but grain was fed, we have 184 pounds of live weight as apparently due to the grain fed; subtracting this from the total increase in live weight we have left 239 pounds asthe amount of growth that we may credit to' one acre of peanuts. por'k at 4 cents per pound this gives $9.56 as the value o'f an acre of peanuts converted into pork. An acre of chufas supplemented by 832 pounds of grain produced 433.5 pounds of live pork and by the same process as above we calculate that one acre of chufas should be credited with 240 9 pounds of pork, or $9.62. This experiment agrees with a previous. one, reported in Alabama 'Station Bulletin No ',,$3, p. 118, in showing that it is more. profitable to' feed some' grain to small shoats grazing on peanuts, than require them to make

With

With

A,

With

their entire gro'wth fro'm The following table

the nuts. shows, the

to'

daily gain per~ pig,

the grain. consumed daily per 100 pounds o'f live weight and the number o'f days o'f pasturage afforded by one acre of peanuts or chufas. In calculating the last
two columns the average

o'f the live

weight

at

the be-

ginning and eind of the experiment has been used.

22
Peanuts

and chit/as as pasturagye.
Daily Grain con- Pasturage gain per sumed daily on 1 acre pig per 100 lb.fora 100 live weight. lb. shoat. Lbs Days. 1.50 2.58 850 41........... 463
1.46
2 99 827

Lot.

FooD.

A B
C

D

Peanuts, and % grain ration.. Peanuts, alone. ................. Chufas and / grain ration..... Full grain ration..............

1.31

4.67

The rate of gain, nearly one and one-half pounds per the lot receivday per head, was satisfactory except was oniy .41 ing nio grain, with which the 'daily of a pound per head. The second column shows that when shoats were "hogging off" peanuts or chufas they made go'oduse.of 2.58 poiunds and 2.99 pounds respectively of grain daily for every hundred pounds of live weight. The third column shows that an acre of peanuts, without. grain, afforded p'aistiirage at the rate of 463

growth

for

days a hundred pound shoat, which is equal to 15 such shoats one month. In 1899 when receiving

fo'r

for

about one-fourth of a normal grain ration pigs grazing on inferior peanuts made moderate gains when the field was stocked at,the rate o'f 13 100-ponnd shoats for one month.. When a. half ration of grain was fed the peanuts or chufasi lasted nearly twice as long, the rate of pasturing per acre for' every 100 po'unds of live

weightl

being 850 days for' peanuts and 827 days for chufas, equal to the support one month of 28 iQO-

pound sho'ats on~ an acre o'f peanuts and of 27' on an, acre of chufas.

for

23
EFFECTS OF PEANUTS, CHUFAS AND

COWPEAS

ON FIRM-

NESS OF LARD.

At the conclusion of the two experiments just described one barrow fromeach of the four lots was killed, November 14, 1900, and lard rendered from the fat taken from the jowl of each. The ,melting points of these samples of lard were determined by Prof. C. L. Hare of the Chemical Department.

Effect

of peainuts and chuf[as on melting point

of

lard.

Lot. Food during 2F6 days before butchering.

Melting Food fed prior to 26 days before butch- point of fat. ering. Deg'sp

P
A

Deg's

A B C D

Peanuts, ground cowpeas and corn Peanuts, alone ....... Chufas and ground cowpeas and corn.. Ground cowpeas and corn...... ........

Sorghum grazed Ground cowp's & corn 28.0 Sorg'm grazed; pean'ts 22 0 Cowpeas grazed.. 27 5 Ground cowpeas and corn..............30.0

82.4 71.6
81.5

10.8
9.9

87.0

15.6

The half ration, of one-third cowpeas and two-thirds corn meal fed to lot A, for several months immediately' before butchering raised the melting point 10.8 F. for the lard of pigs fed partly on peanuts as c ompared
with 'pigs that had several months.

fo'r

received

nog grain, but only peanuts This grain ration fed alone to

lot D afforded a lard which was firmer by 15.6 degrees F. than that from pigs which up to the day when killed had consumed peanuts. In this test sorghum shows no marked tendency to
soften the lard, at le'ais't, when its use was

discontinued

nearly a month before the hogs- were killed. Additional tests are required to determine its effect, if a'ny, in this r'espect when fed up' to' the last. day.

24 The cowplea? evidently afforded a rather lard, but our tests do, not show exactly how it compared with corn in this respect.
GRAZING SORGHUM AND COWPEAS.

firm

'Septiemi.1er 14th, 1900 twelve pigs recently weaned
(litters N and P.) were divided into' fourlots of three

pigs each. The different lofts were quite evenly matched in all essential respects and weighed respectively 175.5, 176.5, 170.5 and 193 pounds per lot. The experiment lasted five weeks in aiddition toytthe preliminary period. Lot A was confined by means; of movable hurdles on drilled sorghum, in, dough and ripening stages, and supplied with what was regarded as a half ration of a mixture of two-thirds corn meal and one-third cowpea meal by weight. Lot B was penned on sorghum alongside of lot A; no grain was furnished to, this lot, but instead ripe Spanish peanuts were pulled and thrown in the pen daily in quantities estimated as furnishing about a half ration of peanuts. Lot C was hurdled on drilled whippoorwill co'wpeas on which the pods were ripe, and this lot received no other gratn.

was

Lot D was confined in a small bare pen and furnished

with as much as the pigs would consume of the same grain mixture as that supplied to, lot A. Grain eaten, area sorghum, oowpe'a, and peanuts grazed, and growth made in flve weeks by three

of

pigs in each lot.
Grain eaten,
Lbs. 244

Lot.

FOOD.
__________________Iweight.

Increase in live
Lbs. 74.5

Lbs. grain for 1 lb.
growth. Lbs.

A

Corn and cowpea

B
C.

5 48 72

4872 sq. ft. of sorg'm, grazed .................... sq. ft. of sorg'm, grazed........... 53 5 29905 sq. ft. of Sp. peanuts........... ..........
17964 sq. ft. ripe cowpeas.............. 50

mixture.

D

Corn and. cowpea mixture .

464

124

5

....... ...... .......
......

3.28

:...

3 74

25 Evidently sloryghum was in this case of very slight value; for with lot A sorghum saved only 12 per cent of the grain, required by lot D to make a growth. Equally unsatisfactory growth of .lot B, which made to subsist entirely on sorghum supplemented by peanuts grown without fertilizer betwe:en corn rows- on very poor sandy land. Lot C grew at the rate of 122.5 pounds of live weight per acre of cowpeas, which, at~ 4 cents per pound, gives $i4.90 as the value of an acre of amodierate, crop of ripe cowpeas when converted into pork. The wastei was very great, the peas falling on the ground and sprouting before being consumed. In a former experiment (Bulletin No. 93) in which some corn was furnished to shoats grazing on nearly ripe cowpeas the results were far more satisfactory, one acre of cowpeas assisted by 1578 pounds of corn making 730 pounds po'unds of live pork. If we assume that each of grain formed one pounds of growth, we have 336 pounds of live pork, worth at 4 cents $13.44, as the value of an acre of cowpeas alone converted into pork in that

was

was the

poundof

five

test, while in this one an acre of cowpeas alone made

much less.
Lot D

made

a very satisfactory growth on the mix-

ture of one-third cowpea and two-thirds corn meal, only
3.74 pounds of this mixture being required

pound of growth. The rate
more rapid than with

the pigs dependent entirely

of growth was several times
upon

to, make one

cowpeas or upon so'rghum and peanuts, and considerably more rapid thalni with lot A, which received a limited ration of grain and an unlimited supply of sorghum. The average daily gain per shoat was 1.18 pounds when a full ration of mixed cowpea 'and corn meal was fed. The average daily consumption of this grain per

-100

pound

of live weight was 5.19

pounds,.

26
COTTON SEED MEAL IN THE GRAIN RATION.

November 13, 1900, after the conclusion periment just described, one pig from each

of

1, grain C, and D was kept for five weeks ol dilet made up' o'f one-fourth b'y weight of cotton seed meal and three-fourths corn meal. They were given all they wouldi eat, but did Inot relish the food. During the five weeks they gained 67.5 pounds, requiring 4.68 pounds of food per pound of growth. This is an average daily gain of .64 of a pound per head. Near the unth'e end of the fifth week the attendant thrifty appearaniice of the pigs, but no death occurred. The amount of cotton seed mPeal which had produced sickness but not immediate death, was 25.5 pounds per shoat of an average weighti of 117.6 pounds. Hence the toixic dose of cotton seed meal was here, per 100 pounds of live weight, 21.4 pounds, of .61 of a pound per day for 35 days. After eating. this grain, containing 25 per cent of

an exclusive

of lots

the ex-

noted

cotton seed meal, for five weeks the pigs were slaugh-

tered and a sample of lard from the fat of the body was
Melting point

examined by Prof. C~. L. Hare, who found the melting pointls to be as follows:.

of lard from cotton seed meal ration.
last '5
meal..
Melting
Food second month before point of

Lot.

Food during
____Deg.

weeks of life, B
C'

butchering, Paus ln......- c aeameal82 1,
3
3

lard
F.

4cotton seed 34 conamelt

8
2

do .............
do.............

8

Chufas, &c.

oeornmeal

D

Full ration

cowpeameal

28

corne meal.

84. .

27 The lard from some pigs in lot B had melted at 71.6° F., immediately after the pigs were taken from a peanut pasture ; now, after five weeks feeding of a ration containing 25 per cents of cotton seed mieai, the melting point has risen to 87.4 degrees,, a hardening effect of 15.8 degrees attributable to, this food. This cotton seed meal and corn meal mixtulr'e did not very greatly increase the hardness of the lard of the lots which had been receiving a partial or exclusive grain for a number of weeks before the cotton seed meal feeding was begun.

ration

COTTON SEED MEAL (25 PER CENT) IN THE RATION OF PIGS. In the fall of 1899 three Poland China shoats from the same litter, previously maintained on peanuts with a light ration of corn meal, and an Essex pig previously consuming ordinary pasturage and penned. Two of the Poland Chinaswere fed all theywould'eat a mixture' of one-fourth cotton seed meal and threefourths corn meal. The third Poland and the

corn, were

of

China

Essex shoait were fed in separate'pens on cornmeal alone. A mixtuare

of

cotton seed meal and corn mleal versu~s
corn meal

alone.
~~
b

Lot

No.

FOOD.

bp

r

0

Lbs.
3

Lbs.

Lbs. 128 8 200.0 164.4

Lbs.
7 11

Lbs.
2.46

Lbs.
.41

(P. C.)S4 3cotton . 4 corn

s. meal,

meal.

..

113 1 14.3

J4 (P. C.)Corn meal ......... 5(Es.) Corn meal......... Av. 4 & 5 Corn meal .........

121 5 21 97.5 58.5 109.5 39.7

97.7

6.13 3.43 4 13

3 02 5.86 4.28

.60 1.67 1 13

28

None of the Poland China pigs (lots 3 and 4) ate sufficient grain for rapid growth when changed from peanuts to an exclusive grain diet. As a result of the small daily consumption of food slow growth was made by lots 3 and 4, with the almost inevitable result that the increase in live weight was made act a financial loss. It required 7.11 plounds of the mixture containing cotton seed meal or 6.13 pounds of corn meal alone to make one pound of growth, both figures showing unsatisfactory rates of growth.

The cotton, seed meal mixture was decidedly unprofitable, but up,to five weeks it was not preceptibly injurious to health. During these 35 days the almount of cotton Iseed meal consumeld per 100 pounds live weight was .61 of a poulnd daily or'a total of 21.5 pounds.
tFFECT OF PEANUTS, CHUFAS, CORN MEAL AND COTTON

SEED MEAL ON QUALITY OF LARD.

After the conclusion of certain experiments previously described, (grazing peanuts and feeding cotton seed meal in comparison with corn meal) the pigs thus fed were butchered. Samples of the lard made from the bodies of these pigs and from others which had subsisted for some months on chufas, supplemented by a light ration of grain, were tested by Prof. C. L. Hare of the Chemical Department to learn the temperature neceilssary to melt the lard.

29 Melting point of lard from various foods.'

Pig No.

Food during 5 weeks just before butchering.

Food fed prior to 5 weeks before
butchering

Melting point of fat.

Average melting point of fat

Degrees F. Degrees

84 86 Av. 84 & 86 87 89 Av 87 & 89
90

Peanuts..... ...... Peanuts......... 75.7 Peanuts ...... Peanuts ........... Peanuts........... Peanuts............. Chufas............. Peanuts.......75.2 Chufas............ Peanuts,.......74.6 Chufas............ Peanuts............. 88 34 corn [neal, 14 cotton seed meal
....

F.

74.6 74.9

Peanuts......

84.2

34 corn meal, 14 cot-

ton seed meal.... Av. 88 & 90 % corn meal, 14 cotton seed meal.... 85* Corn meal......... E. Corn meal 'Essex)..

Peanuts.......84 Peanuts...............84. Peanuts...... 80.7 Corn and grass 86.0 pasturage..

80.7
.

*This pig was from same litter as Nos. 84 ,86, 87, 88, 89 and 90.

It is well known that peanuts produce a soft lard. the feeding of peanuts was continued uninterrupteidly up to the date of slaughter'the-resulting lard

When
heit,

melted at

the

low

temperature

of 74.6

or at the

temperature of

degrees Fahren-

an ordinary living room

in sprinig. It has been claimed that by feeding encorn fo'r a few weeks before the date of butchtirely and lard can be brought to' the normal' ering, the degree of hardness. This*was not the case in. this ex-

on

flesh
By

perimlent.

hoigs were killed and feeding thenceforward fore exclusively on corn meal we succeeded in raising the melting point to 80.7 degrees Fahrenheit, an increase of 6.1 degrees Fahrenheit. This lard, however, was still much softer than that from hogs never fed on peanuts. a similar 'experiment in 1897-'98 (see -Bulletin No.

the

discontlinuing the

peanuts five weeks be-

In

93) the feeding

of

coirp during the four

weeks

imme-

30

diately preceding the time of butchering effected a considerably greater increaste in the melting point of lard from the pigs previously fed on peanuts, but in that test as in the present one, the feeding of corn during a short period did not make the resulting lard equal in firmness to, that made by continued feeding of corn. In this experiment the lard produced by feeding chufas was practically as soft as that obtained from peanutfed pigs. After ascertaining in a, previous experiment that the melting point of lard from peanut-fed pigs could not be raised to the normal degree of firmness by feeding exclusively on corn during the month immediately preceding death, search was made for some food which might have a greater effect in solidifying the flesh and lard. Cotton- seed meal seemed worthy of a trial for this purpose as it has been shown to increase the firmness of butter, and as a few determinations appear to indicate that it produces tallow and suet with a high melting point. Unfortunately no safe method of feeding to hogs for a, long period any considerable proportion of cotton seed meal has yet been entirely demonstrated. In small amountis it may be fed for four weeks, or even a little longer without causing death. In this experiment a, mixture of one pound of cotton seed meal to three pounds of corn m)eal was fed during the five weeks before the date of butchering to pigs which prior to this time had grazed on peanuts. The effects of the food containing cotton seed meal was to raise the melting point of the resulting fat to 84.1 degrees Fahrenhiet. This is a gain of 9.5 degrees als compared with an uninterrupted diet of peanuts. The cotton seed meal mixture afforded lard which required for melting a temperature of 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit higher

tha1 that necessary with fat produced by feeding corn meal alone during the same length of time. The result of this experiment is encouraging as indicating the superior hardening power of a mixture of alone. cotton seed 1 meal and corn meal over corn The lard from the pigs, fed for six weeks on this mix ture was practically as firm as that obtained in this experiment from an Essex pig that had never eaten pea nuts, but it was nut, sl ofirm as the lard produced in the corespo'nding experiment of 1897-'98 from pigs fed uninterruptedly on corn. (See Alabama Station Bulletin No. 93, p. 30.)

meal

COTTON

SEED MEAL AS FOOD FOR HOGS IN CONNECTION

WITH CORN MEAL AND SORGHUM OR PEANUTS.

On September 14, 1901, a litter of six thoroughbred Poland China, pigs, farrowed April 2, was divided into three lots and these were fed as follows: Lot I,grazeidi on drilled sorghumt, (blooming to ripe stage), and a, half ration of grain, as below.
Lot II, in dry lot, fed sorghum from same field, cut

into leughts of 1 to 2 inches, and also fed gr'ain like lot 1.
Lot III, grazed on Spanish peanuts

and givens

same

grain as other lots.

All three lots received in addition, to sorghum a mixture of one-fifth cotton seed meal and fourfifths corn, meal, which no't greatly relished and of

nuits

or' pea-

was,

which the pigs in a dry lot could not be induced toy eat as much as was desirable. This lot also' ate far less sorghum than was, desired. After' a week of preliminary feeding the experiment began September 20 and continued until the last week

in

October.

32 Sorghm, grazed and soiled, versus peanuts grazed.
Weight Sept. 20
Lot.

BLEach.

Total.

C

P4FooD.

-o

P

I ii) II

2 74 5 6. 6 64.5

61.Lbs. 1 135.5 Sorghum grazed; cotton seed meal & corn meal. 124.5 Sorghum in pen; cotton seed meal and cornmeal 135.5 Peanuts grazed; cotton seed meal & corn meal.

Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. .53 36
.11 8.5

140 3.80

9411.05
134 1.85

.9472.5

During the experiment lot I grazed over (with great waste) 2203 square feet of sorghum and lot 3 consumed the peanuts on 3880 square feet; 782 pounds of green, cut sorghum were offered to lot, II but only 372 pounds were consumed. iReducing these results to the basis of one acre we have the Groitth
made

on one acre of soryhum or

peanuts.

Pasture Crops.

Lot I. Sorghum grazed; and grain Lot II. Sorghum fed; and grain... Lot III. Peanuts grazed; and grain..
*On

Growth per acre of greetn food. Lbs. 707 210 814

*Growth Grain attributaper acre ble to 1 of green acre green food. food. Lbs Lbs. 2768 153 2323 loss 1504 513

the assumption that 5 lbs. of grain made 1.pound of growth.

To, produce one pound of growth, there was required 3.8 pounds of grain connectioln with sorghum pasturage, only

1.85 pounds

in

of grain in connection with

peanuts and 11.05 pounds of grain when cut sorghum
was fed in a, dry lot.

33 The financial results are quite satisfactory for peanuts, one acre of which is estimated as producing 513 pounds of live pork, worth at 4 cents per pound, $20.52. An acreof sorghum grazed is estimated as affording 153 pounds of live pork worth $6.12, while sorghum fed to pigs in a pen was consumed in quantities too small to give any measurelable financial results. Effect of a 20 per cent. cotton seed meal mixture on health of pigs.-A mixture of one-fifth cotton seed meal and four-fifths corn meal was fed as just stated, in connection with sorghum or' peanuts continuously from September 14. All wenit well until October 24, when pig No.' 1 in lot II died suddenly. Three days later the other pig in lot 1 died and also, both 'pigs in lot II. Oc-tober 28 the use of cotton seed meal was discontinued with lot III, which had thus far shown no symptom's or sickness or unthr'iftiness, but which, as the subsequent history of one of theses pigs shows, had been injured by the use of cotton seed meial. One of these pigs, No. 6, from the lot grazing on peanuts was used in a subsequent experiment, in which he died, though not given any more cotton seed meal. The other one was butchered October 28 and samples of fat were taken from this one, as well as from one of the pigs that died in each of the other two lots. Let us calculate the amounts of cotton seed meal which constituted a dangerous ration when fed for about six weeks.

34
Amrouants

of cotton seed meal cauasng death shouts when fed with corn and sorghum or peanuts.
Lot I. Lot II. Lot III. Mixed Mixed Mixed grain and grain and grain and sorghum sorghum peanuts (grazed.) (fed.) (grazed.)
Lbs.

of

Total grain per head daily...... ..... Total grain per 100 lbs. av. live weight Cotton seed meal per head daily...... Cotton seed meal dafly per 100 lbs. av. live weight.... .................... Total amount cotton seed meal (inol'g preliminary week) .................. Total amount cotton seed meal per 100 lbs. av. live weight................

2 06 2.67 . 53

Lbs.

Lbs.

1

1 27 2 00 25

1 76 2 05 .35

.40
12 20

.41
15.20

16.60 21.60

18.90 17.70

From this table it may be seen that a daily ration containing one-fourth pound or more of cotton seed.meal per 100 pounds of average live weight was fatal when cointinued for' about six weeks. No deaths occurred until
the small

shoats

(averaging about 64 pounds)

had

each

consumed 12.2- pounds of cotton seed meal. Per 100 pounds of liveweight minimum fatal quantity was

the

EFFECTS

OF A 20 PER CENT COTTON SEED MEAL MIXTURE AND
OF LARD.

OF SORGHUM AND PEANUTS ON MELTING POINT

Lard

was, rendered from

samples of fat taken from

the neck and also from around the kidneys, of onei pig in each of the lots just referred to. The, melting points of the lard were as follows :

35

Effect

of cotton seed meal on melting point

of

lard.

FooD.

Lard from kidneys

Lard from jowl

Sorghum grazed; Sorghum fed, Peanuts grazed,

3

ration of

* cotton seed meal..
W~

corn

meal...

Deg. F. Deg. F. 115.2 87.4 115.2 99.7 85.3 80.6

do do

It is evident that peanuts affo'rded a much softer lard than did sor'ghum, even when each constituted only about half the ration. The feeding of somewhat less than a half ration olf mixed cotton seed meal and corn meal (1 to 4) for weeks while peanuts were being grazed, failed to' overcome the softening effects:of peanuts. In twoi experiments already recorded in this bulletin the body lard from pigs getting only peanuts melted at temperatures of 74.6 and 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit; the feeding of a small.amount of a mixture of cotton seed meal and corn meal for five consecutive weekswhile peanuts we're being eaten in this test raised the melting point to' 87.4 degrees, a gain of 12.8 and 15.8 degrees. This increase of 12.8 to' 15.8 degrees in hardness is somewhat greater~ than had previously resulted from feeding ai stronger cotton seed meal mixture for six weeks after the peanuts were discontined (see Experi-

five

ment o'n p.

29.)

On the whole thelse experiments viewed together indiicaite that greater hardening effeict results from the grain when fed- with the softening food (as
peanuts or

chufas)

than from that fed as the

,exclusive

ration in the six weeks just before the date of butchering. This is also practically the conclusion reached b'y Bennett in Arkansas Bulletin No. 65.

36
COTTON SEED MEAL VERSUS CORN COWPEA MEAL AND VERSUS

MEAL AS A FINISHING

FOOD.

Six pigs from one litter' which had suhsisted for six weeks after weaning on a, field of Spanish peanuts without any grain, were later divided into three lots and fed for 37 days (including the preliminary period of 7'days) as much as they would -eat of the rations mentioned below: Food consumed (ind growth made in 30 days.
Lbs. Growth grain per made. lb.
_____growth.

_____

FOOD.Grain Foo.eaten. __________________________ Lbs.

Lbs.
19 5.00

Lot III 3 cowpea meal, 23 corn meal.... Lot IV. Corn meal....... ............... Lot V. ' cotton seed meal, .t meal ...

95.3

corn

140 0
92.0

29
16.5

4.82
5.57

All three lots made but slow growth, which we attribute inf the case of lots III and V to the relaitive unpalatability of the mixture containing either cowpeas or cotton seed meal. Corn meal was more relished and hence in this brief experiment ,more satisfactory, though in previous experiments mixture of co'wpeas and corn has been superior to either alone, and especially so when the feeding period has been a long one.

may

a

EFFECTS ON HEALTH.

After 37 days' feeding of the 20 per cent. cotton seed meal mixture, No,. 13, one of the pigs in Lot V, died, after having appeared gaunt and weak for two days. This death and the unthrifty appearance of the other

37 pig receiving cotton seed meal notified us that it was time for the experiment to close. The pigs in the other pens remained healthy. All were butchered as soon as the experiment was stopped, and samples of fat were taken and rendered into lard. Up to,the time of the delath of one pig and the evident unthriftiness of another, the pigs in Lot V, averaging at the middle o'f the period 59.4 pounds per head in weight, had each consumed since the seventh of November 5.4 pounds of cottoin seed meal. This is equivalent to saying that toxic effects were evident when for each 100 pounds of average live weight 9.2 of cotton seed meal had been consumed. During the experiment proper the average daily consumption of cotton seed meal was .25 of a pounds per 100 pounds of live weight. It will be recalled that when the same mixture was fed in an earlier experiment to somewhat larger, but young shoats, the daily consumption of .41 of a pound per 100 pounds live weight resulted fatally. In a,still earlier experiment with still larger shoats, cotton seed meal was consumed at the rate of .61 of a pound daily per 100 pounds of live weight, for 35 days; no immediate conspicuous injury resulted, and observations on subsequent effects were preventedi by the disposition made of the pigs.

,, US

Effects

on quality of lard of small shoats fed on cowpea meal and cotton seed meal.

Lot.

Pig No.

Food for last 37 days of life,

Food from Sept. 14 to Oct. 31.

°

III. III. III.

12 11 8 Av. 10 9

IV.
IV.

IV.
V. V. V.

Av.
7

13 Av.

Peanuts alone...... Peanuts [kil'd Oct.31] 82.6 ; cowpea meal... 21 corn meal .. Peanuts.............81.5 do do 799 do do 80.7 Corn meal. ...... do 88.3 do do 77 2 do do cotton seed meal 5 corn meal...... o 90.0 do (died.) do 83.3 do do 86.7

68.2
720 72.5

72.3
78.8 72.4
75.6

J-

82.7

70.3 64.4 67.4

The lard from all lots had a, very low melting point for grain fed animals, probably due in part to small size and extreme immaturity of the pigs as well as to the softening effects of peanutis in earlier period.
We may safely discard the melting point of cidental conditions, possibly

lard fat of Lot V, as probably being influenced by ac-

centage of

the jowl by variations, in the perrend-

an

ering.

moisture or other impurities left after

Shutt has observed that unthrifty pigs have soft

pork, which condition may constitute the -explanation of the low melting points in Lot V. The kidney lard was firmest when the cotton seed meal mixture was fed, the advantage in favor of this food being 4 degrees F. as compared with corn meal.

39 Corn meal afforded a slightly firmer lard, both from kidneys and jowl, than did a, mixture of cowpeas and corn mleal. As compared with the lard obtained from No. 12 (immediately after feeding peanuts), the cowpea mixture and cornmeal scarcely affected the melting point of the kidney lard, but increased that of the jowl lard by 4.1 and 7.4 degrees F. respectively. The cotton seed meal mixture raised the melting point of kidney lard 4.1 degrees F. above that of pure peanut lard from kidney fat. Apparently 37 days was too' short a period for any of the grain foods to thoroughly harden pork once softened by peanuts. The tendency of our experiments and of those made by Bennett, in Arkansas, is to show the need for a longer hardening period than is generally regarded as necessary, o'r else the feeding of soue grain while the peanuts are being consumed.
COTTON SEED MEAL MIXTURE VERSUS CORN MEAL-FOURTH EXPERIMENT.

Shoats which had grazedl for 23 days on peanuts October, 1902, were then penned and divided into two lots,. One lot was fed- on co'rn meal alone!, the. other on a mixture o'f three-fourths, corn meal and o'ne-fourth cotton seed meal. The average weight per sho'at during the experiment was 136.3 pounds fo'r those getting corn the cotton: seed meal, and 142.8 ponunds for' those meal diet. The amounts of food consumed by the two lots were practically identical. Omitting the prelimi-

in

on

nary

follows:

period,

the results for

the. next

28 days were as

Food.'
Corn meal.............
14 cotton seed meal,
%

Daily growth per pig.
..........
corn meal
....

Grairu, per lb. growth
Lbs. 5 31
3.84

Lbs. 1 1................. . 8....................

40 Ini this experiment the rations containing 25 per cent. of cotton seed meal caused much more rapid and econolmi cal growth than corn meal alone. Throughout the 31 days during which cotton seed meal was feid the health of the shoats was good. The shoats getting the mixed rations consumed daily, per 100 pounds of mean live weights, .73 of a pound cotton seed meal. Their toital consumptions of cottonseed meal in 31 days, including the preliminary period, was 22.6 pounds per 100 pounds of live weight. Comparing this result with those previously recorded let us note the increasing amount of cotton seed meal per 100 pounds of live weight which may be safely fed as the, pigs increase in size.

of

EFFECT OF COTTON SEED MEAL, CORN MEAL, AND RICE POLISH ON LARD.

In the following table are recorded the results of determinations, made by Mr. MeB. Ransom of the Chemical Department, of the melting point of lard from the jowls. same litter, The pigs were Poland Chinas from but were not butchered on the same date.

A.

the

_Melting

point

of lard.

Melting Food during 31 days Food from 55th to 32d point before slaughtering, day before slaughof body tering. lard.
____ ___ __ ___Deg. ____

F.

Lot F. No. 101 Corn meal............ Peanuts & corn meal. No. 102 do do
Average do Lot G. No. 103IY4V cotton seed meal, do

78.0
50 1 82 6

76.1 79.9

do do do Peanuts and corn meal L23 days]] . .... Grain ration.......... Grain ration.......... Peanuts & corn meal, [23 days]........... *Only small amounts of skim milk were used and for only 19

Scorn meal . No. 104 do Average do 105 Rice polish ast 8 weeks] 106 Rice polish [8 weeks] 107 Corn meal [8 weeks].. 108 Corn and skim milk *

[l

81.4
74.2 78.3 85.1 76.1 days.

41 In this test the feeding for 31 days of corn meal raised the melting point of lard (previously softened by peanuts) by only 3.8 degrees F.The feeding for the same time of a mixture containing 25 per cent. of cotton seed meal raised the melting point by 7.2 delgrees F. The lard afforded by the cotton seed meal ration was firmer than that from corn meal, the melting point of the former (81.4 degrees F.) being 3.4 higher. This last result, together with other experimjents described in previous pages, indicates that cotton seed meal has an appreciable valule for hardening the lard and doubtless also the flesh of pigs raised on peanuts, chufas, and most other softening foods. This will be an important point in its favor when hog raising for sale, as well as for home consumption, becomes an important industry in Alabanaia; for the buyer for a packing house will not knowingly buy hogs with soft flesh. There is every reason why those sections of Alabama where peanuts thrive should at no distant date ship carloads of hogs to packing houses in Birmingham, Atlanta, New Orleans, or other markets, provided the flesh can be In many counties the sale of hogs and hardene!d. of hog products could easily be made to bring in as much money as the cotton crop. Cholera is not an insuperable obstacle. Keeping hogs off the public range, away from flowing streams of cholera-infected water, an understanding of the nature and means of spreading of this disease, and judicious feeding and care, will greatly reduce this danger. Hog raising requires little capital and brings its returns quickly. Improved blood, food, care, and knowl-

42 edge are caplable of making the Alabama hog, as well as his relative in the corn belt, a, "mortgage lifter."
SWEET POTATOES FOR HOGS.

From November 13 to December 18, 1900, a period of 35 days, two. sho'ats were penned on sweet potatoes growing on poor sandy soil, and furnished daily per head with 2 pounds ground corn and 1 pound ground cowpeas, which was regarded as a half ration. The total weight at the beginning of the test was 231 pounds, and during the five weeks the two shoats made a total gain of 67 pounds, requiring besides sweet potatoes, 3.13 pounds of grain per pound of growth. The potatoes were not eaten with much relish, and after being rooted up they were left on the surface, some of them remaining there until they decayed. Probably the waste would have been less if less graih had been fed. The composition of the sweet potato leads us to expect that it would be advisable not at any time to confine shoats to sweet potatoes aloine, but to give them while on the potato field a little nitrogenous food, such as cowpeas, peanuts, etc.

43
'CORN HEARTS VERSUS COWPEA MEAL VERSUS CORN MEAL.

For a period, of seven weeks, in addition to a week of February, 1899, preliminary feeding, in January these food stuffs were comp'ared, each being fed in conniectio'n with an equal weight of rice bran obtained from Ernst & Co., 'Orleans. There were three lots of recently weaned pigs, each lot containing three pigs. All the pigs except one were from the same litter, and were crossbred Berkshire-Poland Chinas. unusually cold weather of this time, inadequate pig pens, and the rather unpalatable nature of the rations, due to the admixture of rice, bran, made the rates of growth slow and unsatisfactory.

and

New

, The

all

Growuth and food eaten in seven weeks.

Food.

.d

r

Pen 4-50% corn hearts and 50% rice bran...65 Pen 5-50% cowpea meal and 50% rice bran. 80.6 Pen 6-50% corn meal and 50% rice bran.... 98.1

479.5 478.5 540.0

7.38 5.95 5.501

The ration containing corn meal was the most effect-

ive one, probably because of its greatier palatability, hence the larger' amount consumed. According to partial analyses made in the chemical laboratory here the rice bran used contained 9 per cent.
of

protein, and the corn

hearts 8.9 per cent. of protein. desirable

RICE POLISH AS A FOOD FOR PIGS.

The high price

of corn during 1902 mde it

to look for some substitute in addition to such materials

as can be grown on the farm.
plodyed ina

Hence rice polish was a number of experiments and was tested in

em-

comparison with corn meal.. In different experiments these two foods were used alone or each combined with corresponding proportions- of other foods. Each lot con-

44
In all sisted of three pigs, usually recently weaned. cases the f ood was fed dry. corn meal in connection with skim Rice polish milk.--Inu the first experiment, made in the spring of 1902, skim milk was fed in connection with either corn meal or rice polish. The results were as follows:

versus

rn

Food.

A

Corn meal and skim milk............89.5 Rice polish and skim milk..........109.0

2.1
1.7

4.65
3.67

It will be seen. that, in connection with skim milk, rice polish was more effective, pound for pound, than corn meal. Rice polish versus corn meal alone, first experiment. At the end of the fifth week the skim milk was dropped from the rations of both lots and the rate and economy of growth were immediately greatly decreased, as shown below. It then required to make one pound of growth 6.7 pounds of corn meal or 6.7 pounds of rice polish. In this test, in which the conditions were unfavorable to rapid gains, the rice polish and corm meal were of equal value. Rice. polish versus mixed grain.-The following test was made with a different litter of pigs just after weanThe experiment covered, in addition to the preing. liminary period, five weeks, terminating June 11, 1902. There were three pigs in each lot.

The

one fourth corn meal, and one-fourth rice polish.. This was fed in comparison with a grain ration of rice polish,
the pigs of both lots,

mixed grain

consisted of one-half co'wpea meal,

amount of skim milk.

receiving in addition a nearly equal
grain per growth. 1.78 1.93

Lbs. lbs. Lot B-Mixed grain and skim milk.. Lot C-Rice polish and skim milk....

Lbs. milk per lb. growth. 4.13 4.74

45 It will be noticed that mixed grain consisting partly of cowpea meal, and hence very rich in nitrogenous material, proved superior to rice polish. Rice polish in different proportions.-During next the five weeks the grain mixture for lot B same, namely 50 per cent. cowpea, meal, 25 per cent. corn meal and 25 per cent. rice polish. The grain of lot C, was so changed as to consist of equal parts of corn meal and rice polish. Exclusive of the preliminary period the results were as follows:

remained the

Lot B

1/2 cowpea meal............................ / corn meal.................................5.0
1/4

Lbs. grain per lbs growth.

1/2 corn meal.................................4.2 Lot C1 2 rice polish............................

rice

polish. ..........................

This test was, made during mid summer and the pigs, confined in small, bare yards and deprived of green food, did not make as rapid or as economical growth as they would doubtless have done under more natural conditions. Ordinarily we should expect that for young pigs the more nitrogenous mixture fed to, lot B, would prove superior, as it did in the test described immediately above. .Rice polish versus corrn meal alone. During a third period of five weeks terminating

gust 20, 1902,

these

same lots

Au-

of shoats were used in a

comnparison of rice polish with corn meal, both foods being fed alone. The amounts grain fed to the two lots
were

Lbs. growth 3 pigs in 4 weeks. Lot B-Corn meal................... 53.5 Lot C-Rice polish................... ,79

identical.

of

Lbs. grain per lb. of growth. 5.01 3.40

The daily rate of growth was much more rapid for the pigs eating polish and these also required considerably less food to make one pound, of increase in live weight.

46 Rice polish versus corn meal in mixed grain ration. A litter of six Poland China pigs, dropped April 29, 1902, were. divided into, two' lofts and fed for weeks on two lots o'f grain that were exactly similarexcept that rice polish in one was substituted for an equal percentage of corn meal in the other. The results of the last four weeks of the period follow:

five

Lbs. food
per

Lbs.

40% 40% 20% 40% Lot E 40% 20% Lot D

corn meal................... cowpea meal..................56 wheat bran .................. rice polish ........ ...... cowpea meal............... 65.5 wheat bran...................

growth.

growth. 3.7 3.1

lb.

Both of the above mixtures afforded satisfactory rates oif growth, but the one co'ntaining rice polish was decidedly mo're effective than the mixture into which corn meal entered. Rice polish versus corn mneal alone, third experiment. This experiment, was made with two' lots of three shoats each and extended over eight weeks, terminating October 1, 1902. The shoats used were the same as those employed in the last mentioned experiment.
Lbs. growth in 8 weeks. Lot D--Corn meal............ 68 Lot E-Rice polish.. ......... 131.5 'Total food in 8 weeks. 422.2 492.9 Lbs food per lb growth. 6.21 3.75

The rate of growth was almost twice as rapid with the pigs fed polish as for those consuming corn meal. To, make one po'und of increase in live weight required in this experiment 39 per cent. less o'f polish than of corn meal. Average results with rice polish. In most o'f the dire'ct comparisons rice polish with corn meal the polish proved deicidedly superior. Taking the average o'f all five' of these direct comparisons we find that to produce one po'und of increase in

on

of

live weight

polish and 4.74 pounds of corn meal.

o'f

pigs required

only 3.73 pound's

At this rate 78.6

of

rice

47 pounds of rice polish was equal to 100 pounds of corn meal, a saving of 21.4 per centi of the grain by the substitution of polish for corn meal. The differences, in composition are not such as to explain the superiority of the polish, but this may possibly have been partly due to, the fact that the rice meal, a flour-like powder', was in a finer state of division than the corn mDeal. Composition of rice polish, rice meal and corrumeal. Figures fromn Henry's Fceds and Feeding.
Rice Rice Rice Corn polish .................. meal.................. bran .................... meal .... .............. Nitrogenous Matter. 11.7 12.0 12.1 9.2 Starch. etc. 58.0 51.0 49.9 68.7 Fiber. 6.3 5.4
J.5

1.9

Fat, etc. 7.3 13.1 8.8 3.8

We have had some difficulty in obtaining rice polish from states east of us, it being more profitable for the mills to' mix it with o'ther less valuable by-products!and to sell the mixture of polish, rice, bran, etc., under' the name o'f rice meal. Rice meal is' variable quality, according to the amounts of each by-product mixed in. Hence the figures, quoted above need niot be regarded as showing the composition an average grade of rice meal. As stated in a previous -page we employed in one

of

o'f

per'iment

rice bran mixed with an equal weight o'f sev-

ex-

eral other foods. found the rice bran mixtures unpalatable and the growth pigs fed on it slow. At the South Carolina station rice meal, in connection with large amounts skim milk, in a brief feeding period produced po'rk at less cost. than when co'rn meal and skim milk were fed. In November, 1902, rice meal was quoted to' us by Planter's Rice Millsi, Savann~ah, Ga., at $17.90 delivered

We

o'f

of

at Auburn, Ala.., in less than carload lots. Rice bought from the firm two year's ago cost about

same $26 per to'n delivered at this station. no'te that a part o'f this rice polish
ditio'n for more

polish

It is

of juterest to,

According to our -experiments rice polish could with
great profit be sulbstituted fo'r' corn meaiselnatth

than

kept in good con-

a year.

same price.

Isliga

h

APPENDIX.

Percentages of internal organ'ts, etc., as

affected by food.
FOOD. Corn meal alone No. 85,
female.

FOOD. 25 per cent cotton seed meal, 75 per cent corn meal. No. 88. No. 90, - Av. Nos. female. 88 & 90.
kQ r. ri=rj

Essex
Barrow.
4

Av. Nos.
35 &

Essex.
r.1

j

)

Date of butchering .................... Bloosdaa

Nov. 16.

j

Nov.

16.

Nov. 20.

Nov. 16.

.......................................... in.....0 .............. .52
1 80

71..............31 .41
1.42

22 .73 .50
1.41

30 .60
3.10

26103.

293 49
1.92

Lungs ...................

Liver...............

49
1.60

.42 .22 .40 _09

.51 .28 .42 .10

.42
1.40

.47
2 44

.66
2 50

29 Heart .. Kidneys.................. ............ .38 09 Spleen...... .................

.............. .......................

1,.37 1.70

1 91

.23 .30 07

.26 .46 .10

.23 .35 .08

.26 .35 .12

.19 .26 .09

.24 .33 .12

.19 .26 .09

.25 .34 .12

.26 .09

.19

the foods is the greater weight of kidneys The most signific hztt differences attributable and heart of the pigs receiving the more nitrogenous ration, and the greater weight of lungs (as in our former experiments) when the ration was highly carbonaceous.

to