Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-16
A ROTATION SYSTEM FOR PORK PRODUCTION

FOR ordinary red clay uplands that are
Iii arafned. n good rotation 10 follow
viii be oats and vetch seeded cary az
tire fan Nv that We mean not later tnan
the arst OF September, IL the season Is a.
III favorable. Sometimes the weather Is 50
drv that seeding as early as suggested
cannot be done advantageousy- We nOuiu
urefer 20 drill the oats and cover theh'
deeply. The open furrow metnoo Is 1ne
hest TO follow TO insure the crops WIN
standing the winter freezes, particularly
II II is grazed 10 consider aoie -, ee' ~
We and BY seeding oats and Vetch as
earfv in the fail as suggested, In the
proportfons Of one bushel OF the FORMER
- IS 20 20 pounds of the latter, tnat
a vigorous growth may be had oy tns nfs1
~ November. and this crop VIII theh
furnish grazing on and on through the
iata fan and early winter. Canada peas
and oats may also be sown IN the cary
mart OF September. Burr and crimson
clover have never given us as gooo sat
isfactton as grazing crops for hogs as
sor,s have claimed, but they are crops
wefl worth trying, as they provide gooa
winter cover which prevents soil Washing
ana they are nutritious. and 50 Tar as our
observations goes are reiished BY hogs.
We should certainly make a great enort
- hava one OF our sections OF land laio
down 70 alfalfa, because II furnishes graz
ing usually attractive TO hogs ana
can be pastured OF several times during
the season While alfalfa Is olnncu.
crop to raise on lands that are hot WEI
.rnnIied with lime and naturally rich' IL
car he grown where liberal fertilization,
daep Moving. thorough cultivation, ana
tba use OF plenty OF farmyard manure
ara resorted to- II alfalfa cannot De
crown At all Il is no reason. however
FOR abandoning an endeavor 10 develop
= sofifng system for the production OF
pork. Cowpeas. soy beans. peanuts ana
artfchokes may all be made 70 folloN oats
and vetch or oats and Canada neio peas
a. these crops will be graxed down In the
early spring though our own oossrVa-
ton and experience leads us 70 oeheNe
rat = section OF oats and vetch and
oats and Canada peas should be reserved
for grazing after the grain has praetical-
Iv matured. Larger gains viii result from
grazing down the matured crops thah
where the green crop Is used, and IL Is
surprising how much weight OF PORK per
acre one OF these crops viii carry Tor a
period OF thirty days TO six weeks
Another plan often followed advantag-
eouslv il 70 Craze down the oats and
vetch rather closely in the early spring,
ana then let them grow up later on 10
make grain for a second grazing, the hogs
being carried in the interim between
these two periods on rape, which u one
OF the best grazing crops for use In the
sprins Of the year in the south. Rape
should be seeded just as early as posi-
bic In the spring Sometimes, late frost
may destroy Il after II has germinated.oue
IL can be easily and cheaply replanted-
we always prefer TO SOW IL in drills. COW
errng the seed well. but. OF course. not
deeply. About four TO six pounds OF seed
uer acre will be an abundance TO use, ana
the hogs should not be turned on IL until
the leaves are six inches to one foot In
length. IL is surprising how they relish
this crop. which Is closely akin 10 the
turnip. and has a leaf which somewhat
resembles that Of the cOllard. II Is a
crop which can be commended for use
on every farm in the south. Last year
we raised a fine lot Of shoats after they
were weaned on rape. cowpeas. Canada
meas. oats and soy beans, with very
small amount OF corn or other grain Be
fore the pigs were weaned they had &C
cess 70 the rape field. and Il was sur
prisinx the relish they evidenced for IT.
and the amount they consumed. These
hogs when slaughtered dressed out from
Is to 80 pounds and the quality Of the
meat was as fine as could be desired.
They Illustrated very nicely the excel
lent results which will follow the utiliza-
ton OF a succession Of soiling crops for
the production OF pork. We do not wish
TO convey the idea that no grain at all
need be fed. because we think 1t often
desirable to feed some concentrate. and
certainly at seasons when the grazing
crops may not be sufficiently advanced TO
most all the needs of the animal sys-
tenn
After the rape comes off the land. the
same area may be seeded 10 cowpeas or
soy beans. so that all the land used in
a series OF grazing crops may be made
10 produce at least two crops a year.
Since one. and sometimes both of these
crops WIN be Of a soil building nature.
and since practically all the plant food
taken from the soil In the crop is return