Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-29
Hog Pastures.

The business Of cheap, pork pro-
auction and correspondingly increas-
ed profits for the producer rests
largely on the matter of desirable
hog pastures. At one time hog pas
lures we're not thought to be essen
ton In hog raising, but today pigs
IN clover" should be the slogan. TO
be very up-to-date many grower is
changing it into "pigs In alfalfa
There are three types OF pastures
nsed for hogs, rotation, permanent
and annual. In rotation pasturlng
ut least two pasture lots are 1enceo
and one is seeded during one season
while the hogs are pasturing on the
other. An objection is raised TO
this plan occasionally because the
use OF the fenced land Is lost on al
ternate years. This Is true unless
one pastures off the nurse crop that
il placed on the land And there is
no feasible reason why this cannot
be done. In some experiments car
ried out at the Minnesota station
excellent results were gotten by put
ting in tn clover and timothy with
beardIess barley and pasturing 1t on
with brood sows. The clover and
timothy was not hurt by the process.
The objection is sometimes raised
that the pasture gets old and unpal-
ata!ble in the latter part o. the sea
son. This Is largely true of timothy,
cereals and peas but not so true OF
clover If one follows this method:
Turn the brood sows and their lit
ters into the clover field as soon as
the pigs are strong enough. About
the first or second week in June cut
one-third to one-half of the clover
and make it into hay. AS soon as
this clover is cut young shoots will
spring up. The hogs prefer these to
the more mature plants and will I'M
mediately leave the older clover
/ which has not been moved. At the
regular haying time about July 4th
this older portion may he, made into
hay. Where the pasture Is fairly
we'll stocked the animals will be able
to take care OF the growth from this
time on for the pigs will be
around Is pounds in weight and will
eat considerable green clover. This
scheme has worked out very sue
cessfully on a number of farms Or
dinari1y one acre of pasture during
a good season will provide enough
for three brood-sows and their pigs
In this connection plenty of cot room
should be provided in each pasture
The cots should be removed some 20
to 40 rods from the feeding place II
possible 80 that the pigs will get out
In the pasture and take plenty Of ex-
ercise.
Alfalfa.
While a clover Nand timothy pas.
ture is about third to one-hai,
more efficient than Is an annual pas
ture. alfalfa is undoubtedly even SUI
perior when once established. II
case alfalfa Is used longer rotationi
must DE adopted-not less than three
years. The scheme Of cutting a pari
of the alfalfa pasture can be worked
even more feastbly than in the case
OF the clover above described. The
caution to keep the hogs off alfalfa
until 1t is we'll established should be
borne In mind II best results are ex.
pected. This will usually be during
the first season of its growth. AL.
falfa Is also used as permanent
pasture for hogs with good results.
Permanent Pastures Not Usually
Good.
A permanent pasture for hogs fs
usually more or less unsatisfactory.
The hogs root it up and it is hard to
Keep good stand Of desirable
grasses on 1t. This is not true OF
wen established alfalfa pastures. If
bare u taken to prevent roofing a