Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1909-02-02
FORAGE CROPS FOR PIGS.
Favorable Results From Experiments
Made From Green Crops.

Favorable Results FROM E%PSrIIhS"N
Made From Green Crops.
The question of forage crops for rigs
IS one which is Of decided Importance
as it is well known that the use "t
such feed is valuable and profitable.
Covueas without grain have so fan
given better results at the Mi i'sissi9pi
station. il is stated, thHn any other OF
the crops tested In one sea III.
cowpeas were grown on thin hiil lanu
and urodu ed $50 pounds IF pork per
acre when pigs were giazcd upGr
them The next season the ,rcr was
grown on good valley land and rre
| durcd 4S3 pounds of pork per re
| The pigs were turned on the lusturd%'
| when the cowpeas were ripe. Alflifa
without grain was found ITO hp lit;'
more than Il maintenance ration foI
hogs" The pigs used in the test. which
covered two years. RANGED tr' III three
to twenty-foUr months in age
Alfalfa. clover rape and blue grass
supplemcntiug corn were cominrcd
Will ldlItHS VI wi II anu SlI.l' sum
and corn and sliimmilk ut the Mis-
souri, station. The cornmeal. which
was of medium fneness, was mixed
with water to the consistency of
thick DOUGH and was fed twi g daily
in such quantities as would be eaten
without waste. In the sEimmilK ra
tion the meal was wet with milk in
stead of with water The green crops
were fed twi daily Immediately after
cutting and were supplied nd libitum
The rape was rather large and coarse,
ard only the fresh green leaves were
used. Somc Of the alfalfa was rather
toe mature and coarse to be eaten
with relish. but the remainder was
c0nsdert d 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 l02
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
OBS pound per pig per day on the rape
ration TO Oh pound on cornmeal and
the gain on cornmeal and mid
dlings being O.6l pound and Oh corn
meal and skimmiik Lob pounds. Con,
the whole test, the average
daily gain per pig on the ratiOns CON
tanning green feed was as follows:
Cornmeal and blue grass. 0.G3 pound;
cUrnmeal and clover, OF pound: corn
meal and alfalfa, O.S3 pound; corn
meal and luiddlings, 0.GS pound. and
Dn cornmeal and skimmilk 1.Gl
pounds. The smallest amount Of grain
per pound of gain, 2.S3 pounds, was |
noted with the corn and skimmlk ra-
.ion and the largest amount, 5.31 |
pounds, with the cornmeai and blue |
grass The gain was most cheaply |
made on cOrnmeal and skimmilk. cost
ng 2.S3 cents per pound, and was most |
expensive on cOrnmeal and midlliugS
costing 4.O7 cents On the green feeds
t ranged from 3 cents on cornmeal
md alfalfa to 1886 cents on cornmel' |
md blue grass
In the opinion of Professor CuttrelI
# the Colorado station. farmers living
n the plains region Of Colorado will
ind raising and fattening pigs uHvan.
ageous. and barley, wheat, milo maize
md Katiir corn are regarded as the
urest grain crops for the dry land
arming conditions which there pre-.
'ail. The importance Of supplement-
ng grain is insisted upon.