Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-04-03
ARTICLE LXVII.
Grazing Crops for Hogs.

po oiS Vi llo luOSl prOHldDl9
branches Of farming in every section
OF the country, it Is especially we'll
adapted to the South. To make any.
branch Of live stock farming profita-
BILE, there are three essentials: First,
animals Of good quality and breed
ing; second, an abundance of suita-
BILE feed; third, good market for
the animals and their products. It
is the object of this article to dis
cuss briefly the most economical
way Of producing feed, in order that
this year we may reduce to the min
imum the cost Of pork production.
BY using portion Of the farm for
hog crops, it Is comparatively easy
matter to provide grazing crops upon
which, with the addition Of very
small amount Of grian, the hogs will
grow and fatten every month In the
year. The plan that we have follow-
ed at Clemson College, with very
good results, Is to provide number
of one and two-acre lots. The size
and number of the lots will depend
upon the number Of pigs raised. Be-
ginning early I'm March we SOW rape
on we'll fertilized land at the rate
Of six pounds per acre broadcast,
This will furnish grazing from April
Is to July l. These lots are then
planted in COW peas and soy beans
for fall grazing. In some sections
vetch and red, or crimson clover,
sown in the spring, will furnish good
grazing; but we have much better
success by sowing these crops in the
early fall. Peanuts led in dri''9
early in May at the gs'sse OF one TO
one and one-half bushels per acre
has produced more pork per acre
than any other crop tried SO far.
Cow peas and soy beans planted in
drills in April and May, at the rate
Of half bushel per acre, mature about
the same time as the peanuts, and
can be grazed together; and, more
over, they furnish a ration that is
uneXcelled for fattening the hogs for
market in the fall. A small patch
OF early corn is planted to furnish
grain before thes field corn has ma
tured. Sorghum Is popular hog
feed with some farmers, but our ex-
periments indicate clearly that it is
not nearly as profitable as many
other crops, but that it is much bet
ter suited for cattle and horses than
for hogs.
Planting COW peas in the field
corn Is the cheapest method we have
yet devised for fattening hogs in the
fall, or for carrying them until the
fall. sown crops are ready.
For winter and early spring graz
ing there are no crops better than
rape and red clover sown in Septem-
Der at the rate of six pounds Of rape
and eight to ten pounds of red clo-
yer per acre. If the weather Is fav-
orable, the rape will be ready to
Craze in thirty to forty days, and will
stand grazing all winter. Oats and
vetch, or wheat and vetch, sown in
September or October, at the rate of
two bushels Of oats and half bushel
Of vetch, or one bushel Of wheat and
a half bushel Of vetch, per acre, fur
nish excellent winter and spring
grazing for sows and young pigs,
and can be graZed until the land Is
wanted for Doanuts cow nooc ~ COW
beans, the next spring.
Our Bermuda lots, seeded in white
or burr clover, furnish pasture from
March to November, and are essen
tial on every hog farm.
Profitable pork production in the
South is dependent upon providing
grazing crops to be harvest
ed by the hogs. The old plan Of
buying or using high-priced feeds
and carrying them to the hogs will
always result in failure.
If the farmers of the State who
are interested in hog raising will
correspond with Clemson College
they will be given all the informa-
tion and assistance necessary to en-.
able them to make this branch Of
farming profitable business
The extension work bulletin or,
hog raising for the South will be
sent free upon application.
Archibald Smith.