The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-05-09


Well what about green. feed for the
hogs this year? We have said a good
zeal Of late about clover pasture for
swine and hope that many readers OF
the Farmers Review are going to see
to It that their pigs have a pasture to
run on fhis year and so insure health.
muscle. strong constitutions and ma.
tures antitoxin against cholera. But
clover need not be wholly depended
upon and there are times when Il can
not be provided or when it is mixed
with the timothy that Is to be cut for
hay and so viii not be available until
long after haying time. This being
the case would II not be well to try
a patch Of rape this year? Assurediy
II would and those who have tried this
plant and fed hogs upon II have found
that Il Is a wonderfully profitable in
yestment For instance take the re-
suits at the Wisconsin Agricultural
Experiment Station where Prof. Craig
some years ago conducted two trials
with rape as a food for swine, IN prep
aration for the final fattening process
The results are given in Prof. Henrys
grand book on Feeds and Feeding"
which should be in the hands of every
reader Of this paper. In the first trial
there were twenty grade Poland-China
pigs; in the second. thirty-eight grade
Chester Whites In each case the pigs
were divided into two even lots, the
frsthavingthe run OF a rape field, with
grain additional, and the second, CON
fined to a pen. receiving grain only.
The first trial lasted 76 days and the
second AZ days. during which time the
amounts Of feed consumed was care
fully recorded Summarizing the two
trials and calling the gains equal. it
was found that 80 acres Of rape saved
1882 pounds Of grain. This showed
that one acre OF rape was equal to
1892 pounds Of grain in pig feeding
The additional feed used was two parts
corn meal and one part Of middlings
Prof Henry remarks regarding this
finding Since rape can be used as
a catch crop. and costs but two or three
dollars an acre for seed and planting
and nothing for harvesting, the value
Of the crop in swine feeding is a2par-
ent II will be seen from this that
i would pay our readers TO put in an
acre or two Of rape this season as a
catch crop The bulletin article re-
ferred to does not state what variety
Of rape was used but we presume that
Il was Dwarf Essex the plants Of which |
according to climate reach maturity IN /
from eight to ten weeks but which may
be pastured as soon as fully estab- /
ished in the ground To obtain a
heavy yield the seed should be sown in I
drills 2S to 80 inches apart and two \
pounds Of seed per acre should be used. /
When sown in drills the crop has to I
be weeded and cultivated which Is \
work that many farmers are l0ath 10
Undertake. For this reason many pre-
er to SOW the seed broad cast at the
ate OF three to five pounds per acre.
logs do not take to the plant at first
lut If the other food be reduced SO
hat the pigs become hungry they will
Don learn to eat and apparently relish
he food In the same connection il
nay be said that rape is excellent
eed for sheep and cattle so that Il will
ie found profitable for those animals
lso. From what has been said we
hink it win become apparent that
where clover cannot be provided it
viii pay to seed TO rape and there is
10 reason that both crops should not
Ie provided for swine on every farm
Ne shall be very glad TO hear from
my Of our readers who have had ex-
'erience with rape as a green food for
wine.