The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-24

Cp-to-date Farming.
Several Illinois farmers report very salts
factory results from soy beans as hog
feed Much publicity has been given this
crop by the press and experiment stations
the past year or two, and sufficient tests
made to prove that they are not in the ex-
detrimental stage, but an assured success.
They should be planted one-half bushel per
acre in rows and cultivated like corn or
bushel to the acre broadcast or drilled.
Seed can be obtained of seedsmeh.
"Our pig crop was the most profitable
thing we turned off the farm last year."
said Mr. Dwight S, Dalbey. of Champaign.
ILL.,, land we attribute IL solely to intelli-
gent feeding and the use Of the soy bean,
a plant no hog feeder who is looking for
red figures on his ledger can afford to fg-
more. We figure that hogs made US $40 per
acre on the soy beans hogged down. This
estimate allowed ten I POUNDS s Of noTk f9r
feet health was maintained In the herd
and we had no disease whatever: Inc beans
we hogged down. as 1 said; MADE US $40 an
acre The rest Of the field yielded sixty
bushels to the acre. This was probably
much more than an average crop The
beans were planted with a Superior drill
waited as corn until the foliage grew too
rank. The hogs fairly ate out the roots
They were spring pigs and went to market
Oct. Is. when their weights ran from us
of the day. an evidence that the soy bean
is an efficient pork maker. Some Of the
plants carried over 200 pods of beans. We
are planning rotation system for our hogs
now. RIVE was sown last fall and will be
pastured early About May sorghum will
be ready. Then comes rape. then rye again
and lastly soy beans. the finishing crop;
has given me the result OF very carefui
experiment with pasturing pigs on soy
beans last summer. The pigs were turned
after they were ripened. and in addition TO
the beans some corn was fed TO the pigs.
The beans were planted June In rows two
feet apart. using between one-nalf ana
The field consisted of 40 acres, and was
cultivated twice. Mr.. Rowe gives the fol-
lowing figures and results of the expert
ment:
On Sept. II turned in ls2 pigs weighing
1880 pounds.
On Oct turned off 1s2 pigs weighing
IA, 1856 pounds.
Gain, 41S6 pounds.
Gain per day. LIS pounds each.
1855 bushels of corn fed during time,
and counting ten pounds pork for each
Subtracting LOSS from the total gain of
4iS6 pounds, the shoats gained on beans
800 pounds, amounting to 6f7 pounds OF
pork per acre. which, at cents per pound.
Cow peas have come to be regular crop
with a great many farmers and results
equal TO soy beans ss hog feed are obtained.
Besides, an exclusive feed of corn seems
to induce or encourage cholera, while.
where soy beans or cow peas are combined
with corn, cholera Is rare or unknown.
The prevailing custom Of sowing one
bushel to one-half bushel of cow peas per
acre is a great piece of folly. as this crop.
like most others, only does its best when
the individual plants have an opportunity
to make their natural development. II you
will consider that a plant of the large
growing varieties of COW peas requires as
much room to grow and develop as does a
stalk of corn you viii begin to realize what
crowding means. One-fourth bushel of
COW peas sown in rows like corn and cul-
tivated until the tops drop over will make
more weight of vine and more bushels of
peas than If more seed is planted or sown
broadcast The saving Of seed is quite an
item also, and we advise our readers TO
profit by this hint. These summer crops
land we may as well include rye and rape)
are cheap ard easily raised. When hogs
have free access to them and they are sup
plemented by corn the very best results are
obtained in economy OF feed. swiftness Of
results, as we'll as guaranteeing against
disease.