The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-29
FORAGE CROPS FOR PICS.

Favorable Results From Experiment.
Made From Green Crops.
The question Of forage crops for pigs
Is one which is Of decided Importance,
as II Is well known that the use OF
such feed Is valuable and profitable.
Cowpeas without grain have so far
given better results at the Mississippi
station, It is stated, than any other OF
the crops tested. In one season the
cowpeas were grown on thin hill land
and produced 800 pounds of pork per
acre when pigs were grazed upon
them. The next season the crop was
grown on good valley land and pro-
duced 4S3 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 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
experimenting corn were compared
with rations Of corn and ship stun
and corn and sklmmilk 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 rs would be eaten
without waste. In the sklminilk ra.
ton 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.
fly. 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
O.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 0.61 pound and on corn
meal and skimmilk 1853 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, 0.6S pound;
cornmeal and clover. OF pound; corn.
meal and alfalfa, o.s3 pound; corn.
meal and middlings, 0.6s pound, and
on cornmeal and skimmilk 16l
pounds. The smallest amount Of grain
per pound of gain, 2.SS pounds, was
noted with the corn and skimmiIk RAJ.
ton and the largest amount, OBI
pounds, with the cornmeal and blue
grass. The gain was most cheaply
made on cornrneal and skimmilk cost.
ing 2.s3 cents per pound, and was most
expensive on cornmeal and middlings,
costing 4.07 cents. On the green feeds
1t ranged from 3 cents on cornmeal
and alfalfa toSs.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 win
find raising and fattening pigs advan-
tageous, and barley. wheat. milo maize
and Kaffir 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.