FEEDING FOR FAT AND LEAN.— The remarkable results obtained by Prof. W. A. Henry, Director of the Experiment Station, Wisconsin University, during the past Tear, have attracted the attention, not only of scientists, in America and Europe, but of practical feeders as well. The subjects were pigs, but the facts and conclusions are no less important in relation to all farm stock. The subject matter and the illustrations are kindly furnished by Professor Henry, the reading matter being a condensa tion from his elaborate report in the volume pre pared for the University of Wisconsin. In relation to the experiments it is stated: " Out of a litter of eight pigs, six were selected, which were even in size and form, for the trial, when they were 100 days old. Up to the beginning of the trial, the pigs were all fed alike, from the same trough, a mixture con sisting of shorts, corn meal, skimmilk and but termilk: The pigs were cross-bred Jersey Reds and Poland Chinas. At the beginning of the trial the six were divided into two lots of three each, and to'Lot A was fed a ration consisting of one part of dried blood, six parts of shorts and fourteen parts of sweet skimmilk by weight. To Lot B was fed all fine ground corn meal they could properly consume. Water was freely provided for each lot, and each the run of a small yard back of the feeding-pen in which exercise could be taken; all went on with remarkable uniformity from first to last, with no aecident of any kind to either lot during the whole period of 136 days. The following shows in a condensed form the amount of food consumed by the two lots during the trial of 136 days: It will be seen that each lot, received about the same number of pounds of actual food, but that the proportions of the protein to the oarb hydrates varied greatly. Protein goes to make muscle, though it may be used for heat and fat in the body. The carhhydrates (starch, sugar, etc.) cannot make muscle in the body of an animal, though they may save it from waste and decay, but are used for maintaining the bodily heat and for making fat. Our corn-fed hogs
then were fed a very fattening food, while the other lot were given a large amount of muscle— (or lean meat)—making material. Here we have our feeds so widely different in character that ? the effect should be very evident in the carcasses of the hogs, if the character of the food affects the composition of the body. The hogs were slaughtered Nov. 8, 1886, a skilled butcher assisting, every operation being conducted with great care and precision. After taking the live between the fifth and sixth ribs, and again at the loin or small of the back. A painter was employed to sketch the. appearance and disposi tion of the fat and lean meat as exposed by the cuts. Fearing the painter was not exact enough, a photographer, was employed for the same /Jur weight of each animal, it was killed by slow bleeding and the blood caught and weighed. The viscera were taken out and each organ weighed and the dressed hogs hung up to cool and stiffen. Uponbeing taken to the block each dressed hog was lain on his back, and first the head was severed, next the body was cut square across pose, and we were thus enabled to preserve for future reference and study that which would have The soon been lost.
The engravings which are herewith presented show the proportion and disposition of the fat and lean in some of the cuts. We present six illustrations, three of each lot. The second two show in the same way the cuts made between the fifth and sixth ribs of the logs, numbered "two" in each lot, while the last two engravings show the loin cut of the hogs numbered "three" of each lot. In each of the engravings' the dark shaded parts represent lean meat or muscle, be seen in each case the muscles (red or lean meat) of the protein-fed hogs are larger than the same muscles of those fed the ration rich in carbhydrates. Even the muscles of the neck are stronger, as shown in the first two cuts. On the back over the heart, the muscles of Lot A.