Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-08-17

mo law Of nature" says Professor J. W.
Sanborn, lis more certain than the law that
that the older and larger nm animal grows the
more food it takes TO make n pound OF
growth This rule applies to all classes OF
animals, in his opinion, for in experimenting
with the view to determining the relative in
crease as compared with age II was found ~
pounds of hay fed to calves gave ono pound
Of growth; but when the calves became
yearlings it required twice as much hay to
give the increase of pound, while two.
years-old stock consumed three times az
much with only the same gain in growth.
In corroboration of the above, Sir j. b.
Lawes of England, has always maintained
that the larger the pig the more food is re-
quired to make pound Of growth, and tho
Columbia (Mo.) Statesman, which has also
advocated the advantage of carly maturity,
states that the Germans have organized their
experience in a table which demands that
pig, when between two and three months old,
II weighing 80 pounds, should be supplied
with 81 pounds organic matter daily but
the term used, "organic matter, applies on
ly to the solid, complete food and may in
clude any substance, or variety of substances,
provided the sui6ciency of organic matter is
obtained therefrom. With the allowance of
, pounds of organic matter for so pounds
live weight, an increase to double weight
calls for more than three times as much, as
34 pounds of organic matter is necessary for
pig Weighing 100 pounds, and the increase
is still greater as the live weight of the pig
becomes more.
Professor Manly Miles, in his experiments
with pigs, found that it required for the first
pound Of growth 3S pounds Of meal; for
the second period i.0j pounds were required
the third period required 4. % pounds the
fourth, 524 pounds, and for the fifth period
Dos pounds of meal were required for one
pound of growth of live pig.
With this evidence in favor of early matu-
rity from such excellent sources, the trials
made by Professor E. w. Stewart also gave
equally as strong results in its favor. He
fed pigs, beginning at six weeks Of ago (i2
days., and continued it for no days, dividing
the time iuto three periods. During the first
period 0. quarts of skim milk were required
for one pound of growth This quantity, as
reported, is evidently mistake, as it is too
small for during the second period lib quarts
were needed, and fifteen quarts were used
during the third period, but the second and
third periods, without noticing the first, dem
onstrate that the older the pig the greater the
cost for growth In more than twenty trials
the results are the same, and Professor Stew
art claims that it is a law that the older and
larger an animal grows the more food is re-
quired to accomplish given overweight gain.
The law propounded is indisputable, yet open
to the question that something depends on
size rather than on age It is both, for it
will be seen that late maturity prolongs the
days Of feeding and necessitates the support
of the animal more days than is necessary.
The Professor thinks that pig can be made
to weigh go pounds when seven months old,
and their average weight should be 1875
pounds, while we row carry them over 1G
months at times. The calculation is based
upon the scales, and is no delusion. A very
little grain added to the little more than
maintenance fodder in the grass of the pas.
ture would carry shotes to market the first
season, and would be less than necessary to
carry them needlessly through the winter, be.
sides saving interest, risk and good pasturing
for steer or another pig, as young pork is
the cheapest