The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-12-26
ASHES AND BoNE.MEAL.
Details of Experiments of the Wisconsin,
Agricultural Station.

Details of Experiments of the Wisconsin,
Agricultural Station.
A recent bulletin of the Wisconsin
Experiment Station gives details of ex-
periments in feeding hardwood ashes
and bone-meal to hogs living on corn,
water and salt. The first lot of hogs
was fed nothing else; the second lot was
fed little ground bone daily; the third
lot had free access to atrough of hard
wood ashes. Three separate trialsw
made.
As the average of the three trials, it
was found that where neither ashes nor
bone-meal was fed. 500 pounds of corn
meal were required to produce 100
pounds of gain with the pigs. Where
ashes were fed, 491 pounds only were
required. Where bone-meal was fed,
4S7 pounds of corn were required to pro-
duce 100 pounds of gain. This show7
that the ashes aided digestion, and made
a given amount of feed go further. The
most interesting part of the experiment,
perhaps, relates to the bones of tho
pigs. 1t was found that where no ashes
or bone-meal We're fed the bones of the
pigs were quite weak. The thigh bones
cut out from the hams were broken in
two by an average pressure of S01
pounds where no ashes or bone-meal
were fed. Where ashes were fed, 5S1
pounds of pressure were required. while
the bones from the bone-meal-fed pigs
required $50 pounds of pressure to break
each bone. The thigh bones of the pigs
were then burned, and it was found
that those receiving no bone-meal or
ashes contained 107 grams of mineral
matter, and those from the hogs getting
ashes gave $50 grams, while those get
ting bone-meal gave 165 grams. Prof.
Henry gives the following conclusions
as drawn from the work:
1. That the effect of the bone-meal
and ashes was to save about 1870 pounds
of corn, or 2S per cent. of the total
amount fed in producing 100 pounds of
gain. live weight.
,. That by feeding the bone-meal we
doubled the strength of the thigh bones;
ashes nearly doubled the strength of
the bones.
8. There was about so per cent. more
ash in the bones of the hogs receiving
bone-meal and hard wood ashes than in
the others.
No difference was found in the pro-
portion of fat to lean meat in the body.
The benefits of the ashes, therefore,
seem limited to Strengthening the bones
and aiding digestion. These, however,
are very important, and warrant our
farmers in using some mineral agent of
this character regularly and freely in
hog feeding, especially where much
corn is fed. Bone-meal seems to build
up somewhat stronger bones than
ashes, but ashes do the work very well
indeed, and usually cost the farmer
nothing. The figures show most plainly
that Indian corn can not of itself build
up strong bones, and must be supple
mented by ash material from other
sources. They point most plainly to
one cause, at least, of hogs becoming
too fine and lacking bone, a common
complaint in the corn-growing sections.
Sows and growing pigs should not have
their diet restricted to corn alone, al
though that grain is exceedingly valu-
able as a part of the ration. A variety
of food should be provided, such as
clover, blue grass, shorts, peas, oats
and skim milk. Even where these are
literally used, ashes should be accessi-
bic at all times.-Ohio Farmer.