Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-10
+. ALFALFA FOR HOGS.

We are i'll receipt of two or three
inquiries as to whether 1t is possible
to grow alfalfa profitably In Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa The
facts so to show that alfalfa can be
grown in any of the states named on
any rich, well drained soils and that II
will stand the winter weather Of that
region. 1t will not, however, take. thu
place Of clover, as it does not work In
we'll with any ordinary course of crop
rotation, and it will always be found
that the first cutting, which comes in
June, will be exceedingly hard to cure
for hay. In tue territory referred ia
its chief use will be for hog pasture,
and tn this capacity it will prove sim
ply Invaluable, for it furnishes the hogs
Of the corn belt region just the thing
which is needed to balance their RAJ
lions, the hog which has the run Of an
alfalfa pasture being always thrifty
well boned, healthy. We most unhesi
tatingly advise every man who maket
business of raising hogs to make ew
cry effort to get five or ten acre al,
falfa pasture for them. Five acret
will carry fifty hogs and, besides, giv(
two cuttings Of hay after July. Thu
many experiments which have beel
made during the past two years show
that stand can be secured more sure.
ly when the seed is sown in August on
well fortified and well prepared land
than when sown In the spring. Alfalfa
pasture for sheep, horses and cattle ID
not good thing as there Is danger OF
bloat. Alfalfa hay, however, makes q
very fine winter ration for the dairy
COW, the hay when well cured being
worth pound for pound about as much
falfa which have been sown In Lows
the past two years are nearly all q
great success.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE CORN CRoI
A number Of leading agricultural pa,
pers are specializing as to what shall
be done with the corn crop Of 1905, as
Stunning that 1t Is to be very largt
one and consequently low in price. II
looks to us as though If the crop Of
2,350,0O0,000 bushels Of 1904, whicl
was one of the largest crops ever pro-
duced, has disappeared at about A
cents a bushel, leaving empty corn
cribs all through the corn belt, there
is small need to worry as TO what will
become of the crop Of the present year,
which bids fair to be but little, IL any
larger than that Of last year. The fact
Is the uses for the corn crop have been
so multiplied and the cost Of trans.
portation 80 lowered compared with
what it was twenty five years ago that
no one need be In the least worried al
to the demand for all the corn we can
or ever will raise. There Is permas
nent export demand for corn on a ba.
sis Of living prices to the producer, OF
| at 20 to- rs cents a bushel at urinary
markets. But the real market for oui
big crops of corn Is right at homo and
Is very easily absorbed by the men whd
are making the beef, the pork, the butt
ter, the poultry and other food prod
ucts, and there is to be good demand
for all these products, for the American
worllingman has ample employment at
good wages, and when he has worl
and good pay he Is always good eats
er. No need to worry about the corn
crop, for It Is not going to be a. big
as some crop boomers try to make It;
and every bushel is wanted. The real
thing to worry over is the fact that the
average Yield Of corn per acre is not
onehalt what It should and uisht be.
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