The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-08-29

grass, in fact, many forage crops es-
grow readily in nearly every section of
the East. Rye, oats, barley and wheat
also are grown, and these young, grow
ing cereals make excellent early spring
pasture for pigs. In the trucking sec
lions there Is wasted annually a vast
quantity of unmarketable products
that might be used to advantage and
with profit in feeding hogs. The dairy
districts offer a further advantage to
the hog raiser by furnishing such by
products as skim milk and buttermilk,
which are especially relished and
profitably utilized by growing pigs.
While there are many advantages In
favor of profitable pork production in
the East, on many Of the farms these
advantages are overlooked and hogs
are confined within a pen about 6 by
10 feet during the entire year. Eastern
hogs are fed largely on mill feeds, such
as cornmeal and middlings, which are
expensive feeds.
Pasture and Forage Crops.
No farmer Is prepared to raise hogs
profltnbly unless he is well provided
with pasture. The pasture should be
so managed that it affords tender and
palatable forage. Grasses are sue
culent and rich in muscle and bone
forming materials, but the most impor-
tant consideration in favor of pasture
for swine in summer is its small cost.
The earlier in the year green feed can
be supplied the better. Swine of any
age relish green feed, and Its use al
ways reduces the cost of producing
gains in weight. In addition, 1t keeps
the animals in good thrifty condition.
Forage Crops for the East.
For fall and early spring pasture the
cereals are unexcelled in this section
Of the country. Because young wheat,
cats, rye and barley are such good
grazing crops and are green when frost
has killed clover, they are ideal crops
to grow for pigs during the late fall
and early spring. Any Of these cereals
do well planted singly or In combina-
ton with Canada peas and vetch.
These crops can be planted In early
spring In those sections where the win
tiers are not too severe. The pigs
should be turned In to pasture the
cereal crops when the plants attain
height of about 8 to 8 inches and
taken or when the plants reach such
height that the pigs begin to spit the
ohnxuAA al l,n4r he
This Is because the percentage Of crude
fiber (the indigestible part Of the
plant) increases rapidly as the plants
grow larger.
Field peas sown either alone, or
with oats or oats and rape, are most
satisfactory summer forage crop for
pigs. The seeding should be done In
April or May, and If conditions are
right the crop will be ready TO pasture
in about 80 or 40 days. The pigs should
not be allowed to Craze over the whole
field but should be confined to small
plots by temporary fences or hurdles.
The pigs make very thorough har-
vesting, cleaning up the peas and vines
quite thoroughly. The vines that are
left on the ground, together with the
manure. enrich the soil and add more
humus to 1t.
Rape as a forage crop is highly
recommended for hogs wherever It can
be grown successfully. It may be
sown both early and late in the sea-
son, but the best yields are usually OBJ
tained with spring seeding, and If the
crop is not pastured too closely growth
will continue until fall. If there Ia
enough moisture in the soil to germi-
nate the seed, 1t is generally ready to
pasture IN about six weeks. When