Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-20
RYE roR "HoGGING DOWN.

RYE FOR "HOGGISG DOWN"
Some of our readers may not well under
Stand what IS meant by crop 10 be
shosged down" but the expression IS one
very common in some OF the leading hog
producing regions further North. It means
q crop sown to be fed upon at maturity by
turning in the hogs and allowing them
10 eat it down. II is plan becoming much
In vogue of late, and Mr.. John NJ Jamison,
prominent hog-grower Of an upper state,
says there is no crop better for this purpose
than rye. He has heard it asserted that
rye is not valuable crop to hog down, and
that it IS a dangerous crop for the purpose
on account OF the boards; that Icy stick
IN hogs throat, often causing 'Nh. He
knows full well that there 40 just
gro unds Tor any such notion. There may be
conditions in which rye might not be the
very best crop known to hog down. If the
weather is very dry and no grass growing
in the field the nogs might not got full ben
eft from the rye crop When the grains
are very dry and hard they will be swal-
lowed whole and be very imperfectly di-
eested The absence of grass will cause
the hogs TO eat more Of it, increasing the
loss by Indigestion. If there is Il reasona-
bic abundance Of grass at the Sc ason of the
sye's maturity, however. the hogs will take
part ration of this. consuming less rye, and
that will be much better digested. Moth
ing against rye where there is a reasonable
amount Of grass.
Hogs VIII DO much better on rye if turned
on it after it has become badly straw
broken. Lying on the ground softens the
grain and aids mastication and digestion.
II Will waste less from lying on the ground)
than any of the small grains Some people
orag il down with brush before turning
on the hogs.
Next TO the money profit that the farmer
expects to derive from growing hogs, it
should be his aim to improve his lands by
their use. Mir. Jamison says he is sorry TO
find that with the majority OF hog raisers
This idea receives but little consideration.
The wet, cold land that viii not grow wheat
will often produce paying crop OF rye. He
Knows of no better or cheaper way 10 I'M
prove such land than by growing rye and
feeding down Oh the land. 1t is an accepted
fact that growing rye is the best OF all
small grains in which TO get grass stand
in the event that one desires to seed his
land 10 some species of cultivated grass.
THE rye straw left after the hogging down
acts as a most excellent mulch and pro-
lection against the dry summer or fall
weather, the parching rays Of the sun and
the winter frosts. The second or volunteer
frprp -t-a hporrad Io,r, ie oFtnr rnacTy-
Or quite as good as the first.
The grain crop to be hogged down at ma
tuity is not all the benefit that may be de-
rived from it as hog food; when sown early
1t makes q most excellent winter pasture
FOR pigs, brood sows or fattening hogs. No
evil will result from turning heavy fat
hogs on rankgrowiug rye. The hardy
nature of rye makes il the best grain we
can sow for winter pasture for the pigs.
For this purpose it should be sown at the
rate of two bushels per acre. The richer
the land, the better ard more abundant the
pasture. A small acreage near the hog-pen
sown each fall will give profitable return
10 the farmer for this purpose, for, as
rule, hogs suffer more in winter for the
lack of succulent food than from any other
cause.
Harvested and threshed rye should never
be fed to hogs, Mr.. Jamison thinks, unless
cracked or thoroughly soaked to softness
IN water; and even then it is not a very de-
sirable food, and certainly not a profitable
one. Ground into meal and fed as Stop it
answers very well, but. all things consid-
cred, there are other feeds entirely more
profitable.
While rye is one Of our best crops for
hogging down, beginning Just as the crop is
.Irning into milk or dough state spring
pigs will not thrive upon il alone, left in the |
field to help themselves. If other food is
entirely taken away when they are placed |
ION the rye they will fail away in flesh. that |
Is, if they are in good condition and have
been well fed. But for store hogs there |
can be no better starter for the roundup on |
corn than the run Of u rye field containing |
4 growth OF grass. considering the ease
with which the hogs get their feed without |
labor on the part of the farmer. If the !
feeding hogs are 70 Oe started in this way. |
care should be taken rs 10 time they go onto |
the rye, that il may hold out in good guam |
tity til the new corn comes, commencing |
the corr. by feeding part ration on the rye |
field, either husked or stalk and ali, gradu- |
ally increasing the amount until full feed |
ing is reached.
Care should be taken that the rye does |
not run short between full ration and new |
corn; better lose little rye after corn
romes than 10 have check in growth of |
hogs after they have commenced to fatten. |
The summer and fall pigs will CLEAN with a |
benefit TO them, what is left by the fatten- |
ing hogs.
Rye IS crop succeeding 10 perfection in |
most parts of Texas, therefore this article, |
While written sor other regions, is equally |
applicable 10 our own state. In past times, |
when the hog crop was necessarily late |
fall crop with US, this might have been re- |
Earded as otherwise, but not so now. The |
great refrigerating pork pac-ceries have ,
changed all that. Nowadays when the |
hog is ready for the packery the pacl1ery is /
ready for the hog without regard to the |
season Of tho year. |