Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-09-26
Pigs and Clover.

The last Wisconsin Agricultural Report
gives the following account of successful
clover crops, and their value " In the spring
of 1869, we sowed twenty acres to clover,
sowing it with oats putting ten pounds to
the acre. After the grain was cut, the clover
made remarkable growth it headed nicely,
and much of the seed matured sufficiently
to grow. On the 10th of October following,
we commenced to turn the clover under; it
took good teams and good ploughs to go
through it. The next spring we planted to
corn, and harvested sixty bushels per acre.
The next spring, we ploughed the ground
and sowed oats. This brought the seed
ploughed under in 1869 to the surface the
result was that we had the ground nicely set
to clover again. The oat crop was as good
rs we ever handled The next season we cut
two bouncing crops of hay, then ploughed
the ground in the fall. The two following
years, 1873 aud 1874, we produced large
crops of corn. In 1875, we sowed to oats
and again seeded to clover, sowing ten
pounds of seed per acre, raising a heavy
crop of oats, and got good stand of clover.
In 1875, we cut heavy crop of hay the lat
ter part of June; also secured four bushels
of seed to the acre. later in the season. We
are all satisfied that that twenty acres is all
right, and in condition TO cut hay and seed
crop from next season.
"On the LIST day of June, 1872, we turned
eighty good young hogs, averaging one hun
dred and fifty pounds, on fifteen acres of
that clover that was sown the spring before
On the 18th day of September following, the
hogs averaged fraction over two hundred
and fifty pounds, a gain of one hundred
pounds each, or six hundred pounds for
each acre pastured.
"On the 25th day of May, 1874, we
turned one hundred and twenty shoats
(mosty small pigs that averaged one hun
bred pounds, on twenty acres of clover sown
| the spring before. On the Goth day of Sep.
TENDER they weighed one hundred and
ninety-four and one-half pounds each, or five
hundred and sixty-seven pounds gain to the
acre of clover.
"June lst 1875, we turned ninety-fve
head of shoats, that averaged one hundred
and twenty-six pounds, on the same twenty
acres of clover. On the LIST of October they
averaged two hundred and thirty pounds, a
gain of four hundred and eighty-seven and
three-quarter pounds per acre. We then
ploughed up the pasture, and it was about
as effectually dressed with hog manure as
one could desire.
Last spring (S7G) we planted to corn,
commencing May ith. 1t came up quick,
and grew from the word go, and produced
the largest crop of corn, for field crop, we
ever grew in Wisconsin, as near as could be
estimated eighty-two bushels per acre.
ain the spring of 1876, turned one hun
bred and twenty fair shotes on twenty acres
of clover, The value of clover had become so
well established with us that we neglected to
weigh them, consequently are not able to
speak certainly as TO definite results but
they would not differ materially from the
preceding years.
1.-The hogs were never fed grain of corn
or other grain, from the time they were
turned on the clover until taken off and
weighed before feeding for market. Another
thing that pleased us was the rapid gain OF
the hogs when put on feed. They seemed
to be just in the right condition to eat heav.
lily, digest properly, and assimiate perfectly
ain 1872 we fed forty-two days, and our
hogs then weighed three hundred and sixty
five pounds, having gained fraction over
two and one-half DOuuds ner dav whiIa aat