The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-10
Hog Raising on Alfalfa.

believe the hog industry is one Of the
most profitable when properly managed,
and will give my experience in this coun-
try, says writer in the Times Demo
crat. 1 came here seven years ago, bring
ing with me, among other things, three
small pigs. / sold two of these and kept
the other. The first pig ever sold of my
own raising here / traded for one bushel
of alta ia seed, which at that time was
valued a 81, hogs being about the same
price per 100 pounds. ! sOwed the al
falfa seed in the spring of 1888, and
in the spring of 1889 l fenced
one acre hog-tight and turned in ten head
of hogs. They did very well on
this one acre. The next year I
pastured between thirty and forty
hogs on this one acre. The re-
suit, as you readily can see,
was that the hogs did not have very good
grazing that season. The next spring
tlS9l) / increased my pasture to five acres
and turned in sixty hogs, big and little.
/ also pastured my work horses and mich
cows on the same piece of alfalfa and the
resultswas as before-rather close pick
ing. The spring of 1892 l increased the
alfalfa pasture TO twenty acres. l have
been out of luck since that time in not
having hogs enough to eat it off. During
the past season--a very dry one, as you
are aware-I pastured sixty hogs, fifteen
horses and three mich COWS. The horses
and cows were on the pasture probably
two-thirds of the season. / also moved
the pasture twice during the season for
hayA l am of the opinion that hogs will
do better on alfalfa when it is nearly
ready for making hay. The very young
plants seem too washy. Hogs. however,
seem to eat it with more avidity when
young and tender
H. ~, 4 e.
as you will have observed, covers a pc
Rod of five years, during which time the
price of hogs has varied very much, but l
am safe in saying that my cash receipts
will average $500 per year for the time
stated. Some years il would not reach
that amount, but in other years il was
considerably more.
l shipped a PIG last summer. raised on
alfalfa and fed corn eight weeks, that
tipped the scales at 800 pounds. / have
fattened out several punches of hogs and
made good profit but / do not think this
the most profitable way for south western
Kansas farmers. / think the most money
for us viii be to sell stock hogs at six
months old These we can raise on al
falfa without any grain whatever, and
can therefore produce them ready for the
cattle feeders in the corn districts east of
US cheaper than they can be produced
even in the corn districts. One or two
farmers may not be able to do this, but
If all our alfalfa farmers, or a large num-
Der Of them, will give up part of their
acreage 70 raising stock hogs. cattle feed
ers will soon come right TO our doors and
buy our hogs.
We can also take our brood sows
through the winters cheaper than east
ern farmers can, for the reason that we
can almost winter them on alfalfa hay aud
sorghum. You may be inclined TO doubt
this statement, but II you will take the
trouble 10 60 to the Scott March ranch,
fourteen miles northeast Of Garden City.
you will find about sixty hogs in as good
condition as any farmer would desire
stock hogs TO be, and they are being win
tered on alfalfa hay and cane.
AS TO the breed of this country, prefer
the Poland Berkshire cross, for the reason
that they mature younger than the Po-
land-China. ! have given both breeds a
trial, and therefore speak from expe-
rence.
My pasture is fenced with eight barbed
wires, anG II makes good hog fence.