The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-04-06
MAKING EARLY HOG PASTURE
Question Is Attracting More Attention
Than in Former Years and ls
of Much Importance.

(By r. B. RUSHING.)
The question of growing early pas
lures for hogs is attracting more at
tention of late years than it did few
years ago, and it is we'll 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, l find.
greater than that derived from grow.
ing crops that have to be harvested.
Hogs can be turned into the pasture
and they will do good job harvest.
ing, saving every ifttle bit of the
crop, much more than could be saved
If 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, than it be-
hooves us to plant some other forage
crop for them and also one that will
make grazing as early in the spring
as possible.
For the very earliest purpose /
usually SOW patch of oats, at the
rate Of two bushels to the acre. I
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.
l find it better to have a lot divided
SO as to pasture part of it at a
time, while the other will be growing.
This plan has given me the best satis-
faction.
The regular hog fence is not ex.
pensive and is easily moved If de.
sired. am able to SOW oats very
early in the spring and they make a
very rapid, vigorous growth and give
me good pasture quicker than any.
thing else that 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 drv
weather better, and stock will fol.
low the rows better and there will not
be so much waste.
A common wheat drill ia the mos+
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 tn turn into when
they are coming into stiff dough. II
you have never grown any 1t will he
surprising how hogs will
take on fat and grow while feed,np
on peas.
Soy beans also make good pasture
but these are usually sown later and
hardly come under the head of earlv
pasture. But for forage after tho
peas are exhausted they are invalu.
able. Sorghum cane also makes ev.
cellent forage, and where the earliest
varieties are selected it will be suff1-
GENTLY matured by the last of June or
The first of July for pasturing.
In fact l have pastured SORGHUM
cane when quite young and find II a
rood fattening food.
Clover has always been a fayorite
crop with me, not only because of thu
increased fertility Of the soil which
results. but for the crop itself and
tho excellent pasture it affords.