The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-03
Rape for Swine.

Well, what about green feed for the
hogs this year? We have said good deal
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 pasture to run on this year
and so insure health, muscle, strong con-
situations and natures antitoxin against
cholera. But clover need not be wholly
depended upon, and there are times when
1t cannot be provided or when it is mixed
with the timothy that is to be cut for
hay, and so will not be available until
long after having time This being the
case, would it not be well to try a patch
of rape this year? Assuredly, it would
and those who have tried this plant and
fed hogs upon it have found that it is
wonderfully profitable investment. For
instance, take the results at the Wiscon-
sin Agricultural Experiment Station,
where Prof. Craig some years ago con-
Quoted two trials with rape as food for
swine, in preparation for the final fatten-
ing process. The results are given in
Prof Henry's grand book on Feeds an
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
first having the run of a rape field, with
grain additional, and the second, confined
to pen; receiving grain only. The first
trial lasted seventy-six days and the Sec
ond forty-two days, during which time
the amounts of feed consumed was care
fully recorded.
Summarizing the two trials and calling
the grains equal, it was found that 81
acres of rape saved 1882 pounds of grain.
This showed haf Of
equal TO 1882 pounds of grain in pig feed
ing. The additional feed used was two
parts cornmeal and one part of middlings.
Prof Henry remarks regarding this find
ing: Since rape can be used as a catch
crop, and costs but two or three dollars
an acre for seed and planting and moth
ing for harvesting, the value of the crop
in swine feeding IS apparent" 1t will
be seen from this that it would pay our
readers to put in an acre or two of rape
this season as a catch crop. The bulletin
article referred to does not state what va
riety of rape was used, but We presume
that it was Dwarf Essex, the plant of
which. according to climate, reach matur-
tty in from eight to ten weeks, but which
may be pastured as soon as fully estab-
lished in the ground. To obtain a heavy
yield the seed should be sown in drills
2S to 90 inches apart and two pounds of
sown in drills the crop has to be weeded
and cultivated. which is work that many
farmers are loath to undertake. For this
reason many prefer to sow the seed
broadcast at the rate of three to five
pounds per acre. Hogs do not take to the
plant at first, but if the other food be
reduced so that the pigs become hungry
they will soon learn to eat and apparently
relish the food. In the same connection
il may be said that rape is excellent feed
for sheep and cattle, so that it will be
found profitable for those animals also.
From what has been said we think it
will become apparent that where clover
cannot be provided it will pay to seed
to rape and there is no reason that both
crops should not be provided for swine
on every farm. We shall be very glad to
hear from any of our readers who have
had experience with rape as green food
for swine.