Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1906-04-20

80 Il.
parts referred to, is a pretty sure and
paying crop There are other parts of
the Dakotas, particularly North Da-
kota, where flax is a crop that can be
counted upon on sod; that is, as surely
as any other crop on sod, and little
more so. =.
Generally speaking, where fax does
well, other crops, particularly corn,
will not, although there are sections,
and there are years, when both corn
and fax do well. This is the excep-
ton, however. We have seen splen-
did sod corn on prairie sod near Belle
Fourche, s. D., but we have seen more
years when the newly turned over
sod there would not produce fodder
even. This is true Of most of the
country west of the river in South
Dakota. Sod crops must not be count
ed upon. Corn is surer there than on
North Dakota sod, but fax is not so
sure. Still both do we'll in favorable
seasons. But we repeat they must
not be counted upon by the new set
tier, for he will oftener be disappoint-
ed than otherwise. Deep, early break
ing will sometimes produce excellent
potatoes; also beans and turnips. We
should try little of all these things
were we opening up a new prairie
farm, but west of the river, or very
near the river on the east side, we
should not contract debts to be paid
by sod crops of any kind, unless ii
was fax in northwestern North Da-
kota, and then we should prefer wait.
ing till after harvest. s$s.
We should like to hear from JUS,
as many of our readers as possible
who have had experience with sod
crops in the drier sections Tell us
all you can about how to make a sue.
cess of them.
Hog Pasture.
3. A. NJ: of Dodge Center writes
as follows on hog pasture: II have
about twenty last fall pigs and five
brood sows to run on pasture this
summer. Would you advise grass
pasture, or would you pillow up piece
of ground and SOW to oats and rape
and fence it in later, or would you
advise blowing up the old pasture
which produces fairly good grass an6
seeding it to rape and oats? If SO
what proportion of oats and rape
would you SOW to the acre, and does
this make good forage for such
hogs? It is necessary for me to sum.
mer these hogs with as little grain
as possible"
Our correspondent does not state
the size of his pasture, nor to what
it Is seeded. If it contains as much
as three or four acres which is well
seeded to white clover, as it is APT
to be in this state, we would moi
pillow it up, otherwise it might be vel
to fence off part of it and plow ur
and sow very thick1y to combina.
ton of grains and rape and turn the
hogs on when it gets three or four
inches high. Five or six pounds Of
rape with three or four bushels Of
grain to the acre will not make it toe
thick for hog pasture.
Another very good plan under the
circumstances would be to put in two
or three acres of Canadian field peas
and oats adjoining the pasture, provid.
ing the soil is of such character that
it Is suitable for growing peas. This
crop may be moved off during the
summer and thrown over the fence
or be fenced OFF in small plots by
portable fencing to allow the hogs to
go IN from the pasture. 4.
Rape is also a good forage crop to
SOW adjoining a hog pasture, to NOW
and feed out in the pasture. However
1t must not be allowed to become
rank, or woody, as the hogs will not
eat it. Hogs usually need to be put
on short rations for few days while
they are becoming accustomed to eat
ing rape.
On no account should these hogs
be kept on grass alone, as they will
become very thin and are apt to get
out of condition. A little money put
into some mill feed and a small
amount of corn will be a profitable
investment.