Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-06
AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS
FARM MANAGEMENT OF HOGS.
Suitable Forage and Pasture - Crops
 Reduce Cost of Production.


 The cost of producting pork is much less where suitable forage and pasture crops are used than is the case where the animal is entirely grown in dry lots on expensive grain. Mature animals can maintain their weight or make a small gain on good forage crops with no grain in addition, and young grow ing animals thrive amazingly when the forage crop is supplemented by a limited grain ration. In addition to the cost of grain being cheapencd the animals are kept vigorously and healthy through the exercise and succllent feed. The manure made is uniformly distributed over the fields without labor or waste. Rape, clover, rye. oats, field peas, soybeams, alafifa and blue grass are all good forage crops for use in Connecticute.
 It is probable that Dwarf Essex rape will furnish more feed than any other 1 forage mentioned. An acre has been known to carry 20 spring pigs iron. early summer until late fall. It can he seeded at any time during the spring and summed, but early seeding IS best PlarN four to five pounds Of seed per acre in drills or six to eight pounds if broad cast. Craze when twelve 70 i eighteen inches high and remove the ! hogs when only five to six leaves are left on the stalks. Plant rape on fertile soil for good results.
 1 Clover will also funisi3 much grazing. It should be grazed the year after it. is planted. Twenty pounds of seed per acre should be planted. PEgs nlaJ be | put in it as soon as it has attained a | r,r.1 fT- He = furnish grazing until late November Oats and peas finnish consideTable grazing when young and, as is tt.e case with rye also. may be allowed, to ripen and theh hogged of. This reSult in 3
 considerable saving in other grain which should be fed. If perma anent pastures are also available, hogs should be run on them if for any reason the forage is sometimes insufficient Sow 17s bushels of each just before corn planting time.
 1 Rye makes the earliest of all pastures
 sn Connecticut. Two. bushels should
 be sown in August for the earlies.
 possible pasture. This may be sowr
 in corn that is to be hogged off though
 it is possible that this will result in its
 being tramped out.
 Soybeans make quite a good forage iNAOb WuSIG biL6y C1Lu OG SrCWu SICXESS- fully. One-haH bushel of seed should
 be planted at about corn psanAing tIsc
 When forage rotation Is first startei
 on fairly good land one acre should bs planted for each five or sir pigs witf their mother. It is entirely possible tC get the land in such good tilth tha- twice this much stuff can, be kept on ar lacre, but this would be exceptiona, and it is best not to over stock the Aent at first
 Feed the sows, if the pigs were tar.
 roWed March 1st, heavily until tn, pigs are weaned at eight weeks old then during May, give the pigs dail, grain amounting to four per cent. O
 their live weight, three ger cent. il in June, and two and one-haH per cent
 in July. August and September, e1cep
 when they are on mature grain crop
 If on cats and peas no other feed | required. If rye or corn is fed, tank
 age, meat meal or 1inseed meal shoul
 be given, and if on soybeans, give E.
 one per cent. ration of corn. For fin ishing the hogs enough additional cor , should be provided to furnish fiv bushels for each animal that is to b fattened.
 A forage rotation should furnish a
 abundance of feed, should contaf many legumes to enrich the land an
 should keep as many cover crops O the land as possible By making ex tensive use of the crops which hay
 been discussed these requirements wi i I,be fulfilled quite weH-J. A. SIMMS Connecticut Horticultural College.