The Falls City tribune., 1910-07-22
MAKING EARLY HOG PASTURE
Question is Attracting More Attention
Than In Former Years and Is
of Much Importance.
CBy r.. b. RUsTIING)

The question of growing early pas
lures for hogs is attracting more at
tention of late years than 1t did a few
years ago, and it is well that farmers
wake up and avail themselves of the
value of growing such crops.
This matter of growing something
for early spring pastures for hogs, is
something that the farmer-of limited
means can do.
The profit derived from the growing
of crops for hog pasture is, | find,
greater than hat derived from grow
ing crops that have to be harvested.
Hogs can be turned into the pasture
and they will do a good job harvest
ing, saving every little bit of the
crop, much more than could be saved
IL harvested. as they clean up many
things that man or machinery can
not get.
If we have been negligent In SOW
ing something in the way of clover or
rye, for early hog pasture. then 1t be-
hooyes us to plant some other forage
crop for them and also one that will
HldhS BldIlhB do carly III lHS 5piin5
as possible.
For the very earliest purpose !
usually sow a patch of oats, at the
rate of two bushels to the acre. |
prefer drilling them for a forage crop,
as they will then withstand the
drought and tramping over them and
also will not lift out of the soil as
easily.
find 1t better to have a lot divided
SO as to pasture a part of 1t at a
time, while the other will be growing.
This plan has given me the best salts
faction.
The regular hog fence is not ex-
pensiye and is easily moved II de-
sired. | am able to SOW oats very
early in the spring and they make a
very rapid, vigorous growth and give
me a good pasture quicker than any.
thing else hat | can SOW.
When the oats are from five to
seven inches high it is time to turn
hogs in. 1t usually requires about
five or six weeks to have them this
high.
My next crop for pasture a little
later is peas, and | prefer drilling
them for several reasons. When
drilled they are all planted at a uni
form depth and will come up more
evenly, and they can be cultivated
once or twice and will stand dry
weather better, and stock will fol-
low the rows better, and there will not
be so much waste.
A common wheat drill is the most
convenient and satisfactory for drill
ing the peas, using the first, fourth.
| seventh and tenth holes. This will
make the drills "a inches apart.
Peas are ready to urn into when
they are coming into stiff dough. If
you have neye grown any it will be
wonderfully surprising how hogs viii!
take on fat and grow while feeding
on peas.
Soy beans also make good pasture.
but these are usually sown later and
hardly come under the head of earIv
pasture. But for forage after the
peas are exhausted they are inyalu.
able. Sorghum ane also makes OK.
cellent forage, and where the earliest
varieties are selected it will be suffi-
ciently matured by the last of June or
the first of July for p~asturing.
In fact | have pastured sorghum
cane when quite young and find it a
good fattening food.
Clover has always been a favorite
crop with me, not only because of the
increased fertility of the soil which
results, but for the crop itself and
the excellent pasture it affords.