The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-08-29
Problem Becoming Nation
Wide Because of Increas-
ing Use of Soy Bean.

prepared by the United States Department
Of Agricuiture)
The feeding of hogs so as TO pre-
vent the development of soft charac-
teristies, once thought to be a prob
lem only in those regions where pea
nuts are fed, is no longer sectional
difficulty, says the United States De
partment of Agriculture in calling at
tention to the results which have been
obtained during five years of investi-
CATION. 1t is now almost nation
wide problem among hog raisers be-
cause of the increasing use of soy
beans which also produced careasses
lacking in firmness. There are now
three feeds recognized as producers
of soft pork, peanuts, soy beans, and
rice polish.
Result of Experiments.
At the recent annual meeting at
Knoxville, Tenn, representatives of
the state experiment stations taking
part in these Investigations, and rep
resentatives Of the United States De
partment of Agriculture, discussed
the results obtained In this long Sc
ries of experiments. This is the first
year it has been possible to make def
mite statements on the influence or
soy beans on firmness of hogs Sum-
maries of the experimental results OBJ
tanned by the Alabama, Georgia, Indl-
ana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, Tennessee and Texas agri-
cultural experiment stations in coop
GRAFTON with the United States De
partment of Agriculture during five
years investigation of the soft-pork
problem have shown that:
l. Soy beans grazed or settled
alone or with minerals settled
through a period of seven to eight
weeks to pigs starting at approximate
ly 100 pounds weight and making
gains of 40 to 80 pounds produce soft
carcasses. Further, the results have
shown that the degree of softness Of
the carcass increases as the gain in
weight of hog on this feed in
creases.
2. Soy beans grazed or settled
alone or with minerals settled TO pigs
starting at approximately 100 pounds
weight and making at least a moder-
ate rate of gain through a period of
seven TO eight weeks will not produce
firm carcasses even though subse-
quent gain in weight has been made
by the pigs on corn and tankage equal
to that previously made on the soy
beans.
8. Soy beans grazed or settled with
a supplementary ration of "a per
cent of shelled corn with or without
minerals settled produce soft hogs
when the pigs are started on the
feeds at approximately 100 pounds
weight and make at least moderate
rate of gain through feeding period
of seven to eight weeks.
f. Rice polish and tankage settled,
free choice on oat or rye pasture or
In dry lot and with or without a small
supplement of skim milk handled to
pigs starting at 80 to lbs pounds
weight and making gains of 80 pounds
or more through feeding period of
eight to fifteen weeks, produce soft
carcasses.
5. There Is a direct relation be-
tween immaturity and softness in
pigs. When pigs are fed on ordi-
nary feed combinations which are not
unusually low in fat content, such as
corn and tankage, or corn, middlings
and tankage on pasture or In dry lot
and slaughtered at weight Of ap-
proximately 100 pounds or less they
are, in the usual case, soft.
Feeding Corn and Tankage.
8. Hogs fed corn and tankage grad
ually become firmer as they mature
or take on weight and finish While
hogs fed In this way are usually soft
at 100 pounds or less. the hardening
Is progressive, so that when slaugh-
teredsat approximately IT'S pounds or
more they are, in the usual case, hard.