The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-06-18
GROWING CHEAP PORK.

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GROWING CHEAP PORK.
In practically all sections the valu
of pasture for hogs in connection Wit
the proper grain combination, in tn
economical production of pork is ad
mitted. Harry Howard, director of tn
Delaware experiment station, in a re
cent address expressed the opinion tina
with the right kind of pasture it re
quires from one-tifth to one-third les:
grain to produce 100 pounds Of pork
But, he said, while this is no doub'
true, care should be taken not to try
to overdo the matter of pasture, espe-
cially with young pigs. Young pigs
need more protein than older ones be-
cause they are growing rather thar
fattening. In consequence, the young
pig should receive for some time after
being weaned a ration equivalent tC
two parts Of cornmeal and one OF
middlings, with a little digestive tank
age perhaps, aside from access to good
clover alfalfa, oats and pea or COW
pea pasture from which he will get
considerable protein.
Under usual conditions, however, the
heterogeneous feeds are so high that, al
though their use undoubtedly would
make more rapid gains, they are OBJ
tanned at such an increased cost as to
render their use inadvisable. Pigs
should be sc fed that they will gain
from one-half to n pound a day from
the time they are three weeks old until
they are marketed. 1t is impossible to
make anything like this gain on pas
ture alone, but on the other hand the
Montana station has found that it is
possible to feed more grain than is
necessary to make the maximum gains.
1t seems, too, that in order to get
the best results from the pasture it
&c aCcnnfin1 rhnf thu ,irS no aJJ1-r@l
to Craze rather than to have the green
feed cut N brought to them.
Whole grain fed on pasture should
be ground or soaked with the posi-
BILE exception of corn, which may be
fed on the cob or shelled. 1t will pay,
however. to soak old corn before it is
fed, as soaking is equivalent to grind
ing and Is much cheaper"
The Missouri experiment station in
bulletin No. 70, gives the results Of a
series of experiments in feeding wheat,
shorts, alfalfa, clover, rape, bluegrass
and skim milk as supplementary to
corn. In every instance the largest
gain was made at the least cost, on
corn and skim milk, but, as might have
been expected, corn and alfalfa proved
the next cheapest ration. In these ex-
periments h green forage was cut
and fed to the pigs in their pens. There
is little doubt that the. showing in ia
~ VI IN lihilc Illo SoII IdllOI
would nave been more favorable if the
pigs had been permitted to craze upon
the alfalfa.
Commenting upon the results of
these experiments, Director H. j. Wa
tiers says: Tt will be noted that by
using clover instead of bluegrass, a
difference Of nearly rs cents per hum
dred in the cost of grain was affected.
"When alfalfa was used instead of
bluegrass, the saving was nearly 81 per
hundred.
When skim milk was used instead of
forage, the cheapest and most rapid
gains were made.
When it is noted how much cheaper
the gains were made on corn and Glow
er than those made on corn and ship
stuff, for example, the folly of feeding
such a ration in the summer time,
when a green forage might just as we'll
be available, is apparent.
When we realize, moreover, that
clover will give a larger yield Of for
age than bluegrass, and when we con-
slider it's superior feeding value, 1t is
perfectly obvious that a material in
crease is made in the pounds OF pork
per acre of our land or per bushel of
corn fed by providing the hogs with
clover pastures instead of recurring
them to run on bluegrass, or even not
sc good as bluegrass timothy pas
ture-or, even worse thar this, by con-
filming them in a dry lot.
1T should not be understood that
bluegrass pasture during the time
white clover has possession Of the
ground is not highly acceptable as a.
hog pasture. At this particular season
Of the year an ordinary bluegrass pas
ture, especially in those seasons when
White clover does we'll, can scarcely he
excef1ed. But before the white clover
comes on and after it has passed away
the ordinary bluegrass pasture does not
pesln 10 compare in value with a
pasture OF red clover or alfalfa.
1T will be noted that alfalfa showed
a superiority over red clover as a for
age for hogs in both periods of the trial.
me cost per 100 pounds OF grain was
as follows:
First period. Corn and alfalfa. So
per Corn and red clover.
1925. Saving from use OF alfalfa Ok
cents per hundred.
This means a difference on the basis
OF a 2~50-pound hog and 62k cents or
S37 on Zach car load Of hogs. or
more than enough to pay the freight.
even II the yield Of the two crops Is to
be counted the same.
Q Importance than the supe-
riority of the feeding value itself is the
fact that the alfalfa will yield a much
larger amount OF pasture than will red
clover. and that 1t will come on earlier
n remain gren later than clover, and
WIN, II kept clipped. remain green
the summer and therefore
O green pasture OF %succulent material
which the hogs will relish most highly.
It Is believed to be possible to grow
enough alfalfa for hog pasture at least
on practically every farm in Missouri.
Until. however. alfalfa is an assured
success on every farm. the farmer
aousnl TO arrange for a clover pasture
f0T - 4 hNCv0 vyA~w 49,
Notes Of the Hog Lot.
Reports from southwest Missouri saw
that hogs are fattening on the ~ vaar