The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-11-01

upon wheat and barley. 1t mas DeeH
demonstrated by farmers in this Sec
ton that hogs can be profitably grown
on wheat pasture during the summer
and finished on crushed wheat in the
fall
Experimental feeding has shown
that three and one-half pounds of
wheat will produce gain of one pound
of live weight in hog fattened for
bacon. For long period of fatten-
ing so as to secure lard type OF hog,
more grain will be required. The
heavier larded hog will require about
$50 pounds of wheat for 100 pounds
gain in live weight This at IL cents
per pound would bring to the grower
70 cents per bushel for his wheat. The
bacon type would take less wheat be-
cause the finishing will be done in
shorter time, hence the less grain con
sumed per pound of gain For 100 pound
gains in this type of hog it will
require about $50 pounds of wheat
This at 5 IL cents per pound will
return to the grower "a cents per
bushel for his wheat Even better
returns for wheat fed than this can
be secured If the young hogs are
mainly grown on pasture, such as al
falfa, rape, peas, or winter grains
sown in the spring, they can be grown
to a fattening stage for IL cents
per pound All of the crops mentioned
can be successfully grown in the typ
ical wheat sections. The pigs should
be narrowed early in the spring and
permitted to run with their dams on
pasture until they are at least two
months old In the meantime they
should be taken to eat small supple
mental grain feed. This should be con
tinued until the pig weighs about fifty
pounds. After this he will make a
satisfactory growth on good pasture
By fall this pig should weigh 125
rounds, costing IL cents per pound
This includes the cost of the supple
mental grain fed and the value of the
pasture. The pig is then finished for
the market, and during this process
consumes $50 pounds of wheat and
makes an additional 100 pounds gain
The cost of growing the pig is $4.37
but after consuming $50 pounds OF
wheat he weighs 225 pounds, worth
IL cents per pound. or represents a
value of $12.37, thus returning to the
grower for his wheat So or $1.37 pei
bushel. Equally good results can be
secured from peas. The hogs can har
vest these themselves. 1t is believed
that a quarter section of good wheat
land sown to peas, would fatten ESQ
hogs, worth $4,000, and at the same
time carry over the breeding stock.
1t may be we'll to state that the
the younger the pig the greater gains
for food consumed. This is largely the
reason why the bacon type is the more
desirable to grow. Furthermore, peas
and wheat, or peas and barley produce
the very best quality of bacon hog
In fact the wheat, barley and pea-fed
hog will command premium over the
corn-fed hog in any discriminating
market.
There are other branches of live
stock husbandry which can be made
profitable with wheat growing. A few
draft colts raised each year and sold
when years old would prove to be
profitable industry to the wheat
grower. Even dairying can be made
profitable on many wheat farms, es
pecially upon those which have bot
tom land where alfalfa can be grown.
Even on the higher land where peas
and barley can be grown dairying can
be successfully followed. The neces-
sity for succulent feed is not so great
in localities where hay can be cured
quickly and retain it's natural color.
Nicely cured alfalfa hay is worth ap-
proximately as much as bran, pound
for pound. This gives the dairyman
in an alfalfa growing district an adj
vantage over other sections.
The opportunities are many on the