The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1914-09-17
FARM AND .a.lD ORCHARD
Colleges Stations
and Washington Speedily Suitable Pacific Coast Conditions
Hooqina Off the Corn Crop.

Oregon Agricultural College, Corval-
lis.-While corn may be grown in Ore
gon for a lumber of purposes it finds
its most. profitable application in rel
atively few, according to experts at
the Oregon Agricultural College. |
Among the most profitable uses are
as full green feed for cows, as silage |
for both summer and winter feeding |
for dairy COWS in Western Oregon and |
for winter feeding in Eastern Oregon, |
and perhaps most important Of all,
as fattening crop for hogs. In the
latter use It is not to be husked and
pen-fed but harvested by the hog him
self in the field
Throughout Oregon it is believed
that for hogs the most profitable re
suits may be had from the corn crop
where it is hogged off. In Western
Oregon the corn dries out so poorly
before the winter rains start and the
winter weather itself is so moist that
it is almost impossible to store husked
corn and feed it in the pen to hogs or
other stock in the usual way. In East
ern Oregon on dry farming lands the
yield is so light as greatly to reduce
the profits of the crop If the expense
of husking is to be borne. Aside from
these facts il has been shown in many
successful trials that the hog will make
as large gains per acre Tor even larger
gains) where he is turned into the
corn when it is nearly ripe as he will
be making when the corn is husked
and fed to him in the pen. Hence the
value of this method and the reason
for its recommendation. 1t not only
does away with the additional cost
and other difficulties of husked corn,
but gives better results with the hog.
Where hogging off is to be followed,
two to three pounds of rape per acre
should be seeded between the rows OF
corn at the time of the last cultiva-
ton. Rape is a rapid grower and is
ready for pasturing in the latter part
of September, when the corn is in the
silage stage and ready for the hogs.
1t is a very palatable succulent feed,
much relished by the hog in combina-
|, ton with corn; and further, its high
: protein content makes an ideal bal
, ance to the high carbohydrates of the
: corn. In Eastern Oregon the same
practice may be followed on irrigated
; lands, while on the dry farming lands
where moisture is insufficient, rape
may be seeded in strips alternating
= with the corn rather than between the
: rows.
Forty-bushel corn will finish from
, 10 to IL hogs per acre. Pigs which
2 have been narrowed in the spring anC
4 pastured through the summer on clio
e yer, vetch, alfalfa, rape or field peas
e may be turned into the corn when thu
e grain gets well dented, and finished
= there for the market. No cheaper o
: better method of pork production cal
, be found than this.
!, Where this forage rotation for no
r production is followed, 26-inch wovei
S wire hog fencing temporarily stretch
ed to good end posts and fastened
l. driven stakes between, is used as por1
d able fence to move the pigs from on
e. section of the rotation to the mex
h Two men and team can set up %
If rods a day of such portable fence
< which proves entirely satisfactory.
Is With such system, of course, plel
1t ty of water and salt, and little SUI
IS Elementary feed of barley, tankag
K or the like, as needed, should be use'
n The writer believes that this pla
n may well become the Oregon systel
h of pork production.
re The best hogging-off variety is on
that may be rather too late TO ripe
lie fully its grain but which produces
a. good heavy ear. A good many Orego
ID farmers are deceived as to the valu
s. of the variety of corn since they al
ID inclined to judge value by the heigl
10 of the stalk and the amount of forae
v produced. There are many varietie
N such as the Pride of the North an
lie some others of the fodder producin
lg sorts that will grow two or three fe'
TX taller than the College Minnesota N
10, and will produce a good deal mol
lg stalk, leaf and fodder. But this qua
rs ity is of relatively little importanc
of or indeed may be a distinctly bs
es quality, for it should be fully unde
ce stood that the major share of the
IN gestible nutrients of the SUGGEST
a corn crop are found in the grain.
Sc In the best type of corn plant Il
IT. weight of the shelled grain will near
e. equal the weight of the stalk and
ly far the larger part of the digestib
or nutrients are in the grain. Varieti
% that produce excessive growth of sta
and fodder never make good gree
be Yields. Hence the variety select'
ng should contain a large amount
in grain. A variety producing a stur'
IS. stalk of medium height with an abu
Dr. dance of broad leaves and a sing
he heavy ear of moderately well matur
he grain is the variety best adapted
or Oregon conditions. 1t is not at
necessary to select a variety that W
he fully ripen and dry out before [
ng hogs are turned into the field.