The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-02-03
FORAGE CROPS FOR PIGS.
Favorable Results From Experiment
Made From Green Cropa.

Favorable Results From Experiments
Made From Green Crops.
The question Of forage crops for pigs
10 one which is Of decided Importance,
90 it Is well known that the use Of
such feed IL valuable and profitable.
Cowpeas without grain have 80 far
given better results at the Mississippi
station, It u stated, than any other Of
the crops tested. In one season the
eowpeas were grown on thin hill Land
and produced $50 pounds of pork per
acre when pigs were erased upon
them. The next season the crop was
grown on good valley land and pro-
duced 48S pounds of pork per acre.
The pigs were turned on the pasturage
when the cowpeas were ripe. Alfalfa
without grain was found ito be little
more than a maintenance ration for
hogs" The pigs used in the test, which
covered two years, ranged from three
to twenty-four months IN age.
Alfalfa, clover, rape and blue grass
supplementing corn were compared
with rations Of corn and ship stuff
and corn and skimmilk at the Mis-
souri, station. The cornmeal, which
was Of medium fineness, was mixed
with water to the consistency Of a
thick dough and was fed twice daily
IN such quantities as would be eaten
without waste. In the skimmilk ra
tion the meal was wet with milk in
stead OF with water. The green crops
were fed twice daily Immediately after
cutting and were supplied ad libitum.
The rape was rather large and coarse,
and only the fresh green leaves were
used. Some Of the alfalfa was rather
too mature and coarse to be eaten
with relish, but the remainder was
considered Of fairly satisfactory quail
ity. The red clover and blue grass
were for the most part young and ten
der.
The feeding was continued for 102
days except with the rape fed lot,
which was fed for forty days only,
the supply Of rape being then exhaust
ed. Considering the first forty days,
the gains on green feed ranged from
0.5S pound per pig per day on the rape
ration to 0.74 pound on cornmeal and
alfalfa, the gain on cornmeal and mid
dlings being O.61 pound and on corn
meal and skimmilk 1.53 pounds. Con-
sidering the whole test, the average
daily gain per pig on the rations con-
tanning green feed was as follows:
Cornmeal and blue grass, 0.63 pound;
corumpa1 and clover a. II Mound. corn.
meal and alfalfa, 0.8S pound; corn
meal and middlings. O.6S pound, and
on cornmeal and skimmilk 1.81
pounds. The smallest amount Of grain
per pound Of gain, 2S3 pounds, was
noted with the corn and skimmilk ra-
ton and the largest amount, 5.31
pounds, with the cornmeal and blue
grass. The gain was most cheaply
made on cornmeal and skimmilk, cost
ing 2.83 cents per pound, and was most
expensive on cornmeal and middlings.
costing 4.07 cents. On the green feeds
1t ranged from cents ON cornmeai
and alfalfa to 3.96 cents on cornmeal
and blue grass.
In the opinion Of Professor Cottrell
Of the Colorado station, farmers living
in the plains region of Colorado will
find raising and fattening pigs advan-
tageous, and barley, wheat milo maize
and Kafflr corn are regarded as the
surest grain crops for the dry land
farming conditions which there pre-.
vail. The importance of supplement-
ing grain is insisted upon.
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