The Raymer enterprise., 1913-10-09
SWINE ON DRY FARMS
More Readily Grown Than Some
Other Glasses of Animals.
Brood Sows May Be Carried Ove'
Winter on Alfalfa and Mangels
Until About Season Of Far
rowine-Rye Is Excellent.
By PROF. THOMAS sHAw9

swine may be grown on uIy-iaho
farms more readily than some other
classes Of domestic animals. and for
the reason that they do not call for
SO much pasture relatively to sustain
them. They are more dependent on
grain than other classes OF live stock
on the farm, except in the case OF
poultry. and good grain yields are
more easily obtained as a rule in dry
areas than good pasture yields.
The maintaining OF swine In win
ter in such areas is not difficult. The
brood sows may be readily carried
over on alfalfa and mangels until
about the season OF farrowing. A
small amount Of grain may be helpful
in cold weather, but the amount
called for is not large.
One OF the most useful pastures fof
swine in such areas is winter rye. II
is so because 1t may be pretty surely
started almost any season in the au'
tumn by simply drilling 1t in amid the
stubbles, II 1t cannot be arranged to
first plow the land. 1t is SO because
1t Is ready for being grazed quite early
in the spring, and for the further rea.
son that, when thus grown. 1t be,
comes a catch crop. SO that the graz,
ing Of the rye may be completed BY
the time that the season has come Tor
plowing the land as summer fallow.
The only labor called for in providing
such pasture is that involved in sow.
Ing the crop, and the only cost is the
seed, which in such case would be
about 1ia bushels per acre, or not
more than two bushels in any event.
BY the time that the grazing season
OF the rye is past other grazing may
be necessary. 1t may consist OF alfalfa
or bald barley. The alfalfa crop Is
unexcelled in furnishing grazing
among the grasses, and one of the
good points about growing 1t is that
It may be disked in the spring. which
encourages the retention Of moisture
and promotes growth. 1t may also be
disked at later period. should this
be deemed advisable But when alfalfa
is thus grazed, 1t will not endure close
grazing and maintain itself in the soil
for SO many years as when 1t is grown
to produce hay only. 1t will probably
be found to produce more moisture for
swine than any other plant, especially
during the first part of the season,
and as a pasture for swine 1t should
endure for several seasons. with due
care In the grazing.
Barley OF the hull.less variety will
provide such pasture. 1t should be
sown quite early. as early as the
ground may do to work in the spring
without injury to the same. 1t may
be wise. also, to SOW more seed than
when it is sown to provide a grain
crop.
Dwarf Essex rape may be made to
produce pasture In dry areas. but to
make sure that 1t will be quite sue.
cessful In such areas it ought to be
cultivated during the process OF
growth.
The Canadian field pea also fur.
nishes good grazing for swine. but it
Is in the matured form that the best
results by far are secured.
When the rain falls. more especially
In the autumn, winter and early
spring months. as in the inter-moun.
tain regions, the barley and rape pas
lures may prove less valuable than In
the plains country east OF the Rocky
mountains. When deciding on the
growing OF such pastures the season
OF the rainfall and the amount of the
same should be carefully considered