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

parts referred to, is pretty sure and
paying crop. There are other parts of
the Dakotas, particularly North Da-
kota, where flax is 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 flax 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 well in favorable
seasons. But we repeat they must
not be counted upon by the new set
tier, for he will oftener be disappoint-
cd than otherwise. Deep, early break
ing will sometimes produce excellent
potatoes; also beans and turnips. We
should try a 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 it
was fax in northwestern North Da-
kota, and then we should prefer wait
ing till after harvest.
We should like to hear from lust
as many of our readers as possible
VINO 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.
E.. A. M. of Dodge Center writes
as follows on hog pasture: IT 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 and
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? 1t 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
1t is seeded. If it contains as much
as three or four acres which is well
seeded to white clover, as it is ant
10 be in this state, we would not
ploW 1t up, otherwise it might be well
to fence OFF a part of it and pillow up
and sow very thick1y to combina-
ton of grains and rape and turn the
nogs on when it gets three or four
lncnes high. Five or six pounds of
rape with three or four bushels of
grain to the acre will not make it too
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 a character that
1t is suitable for growing peas. This
crop may be moved off during the
summer and thrown over the fence,
or be fenced OF in small plots by
portable fencing to allow the hogs to
go in from the pasture. 5 MI,
q Rape is also a good forage crop to
SOW adjoining a hog pasture, to NOV
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 a few days while
they are becoming accustomed to eat
ing rape. ..E
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 small
amount of corn will be a profitable
investment.