Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1919-10-17
GOOD CROPS FOR
PRODUCING PORK
Industry in Irrigation Country
Subject to Periods of Expan-
sion and Depression.
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE NOTED
Department Of Agriculture Has Been
Making Observations IN Its West
ern Projects on Utilization
of Field Crops.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
"Gum shoe" farming for ham and
bacon production does not presuppose
web-footed hogs, 1t merely means
that irrigation as practiced by some
western farmers involves conservative
use of moisture for production of for
age crops which may be harvested di-
rectly in the fields by the porl1ers. The
swine industry in the rub5er-boot coun-
try has been subject to periods of ex-
pansion and depression. One cause is
lack of knowledge as to the possibility
of using certain irrigated field crops,
and as to the value Of these crops when
measured in terms of pork production.
If full advantage is taken of the wide
range of feeds available to swine grow
ers on irrigated lands, pork production
can be conducted more extensively, and
with more assurance of success.
Irrigation farmers interested in pork
production have had to rely on results
obtained in nonirrigated sections, and
applied to localities where web-footed
crops grow. This lack of definite in
formation was especially noteworthy
in the case Of field crops, which in
other sections of the country are pas
tured by hogs or hogged off. Hence,
since 1912 the department has been
making observations in its western ir-
rigation projects on the utilization of
irrigated field crops as hog pasture.
These investigations include pasture
tests with 40 lots consisting Of 3,79o
hogs pastured on alfalfa, sweet clover,
field peas, and milo.
Alfalfa Needs Supplementary Ration.
Pasturing alfalfa with hogs has been
demonstrated satisfactory method Of
utilizing the forage, and one Of the
cheapest ways to produce pork. How
ever to obtain satisfactory results
the alfalfa pasture must be supple
mented with some carbonaceous feed
such as 2 per cent ration Of corn,
barley, milo, wheat, or shorts. Under
such conditions one good acre of good
alfalfa pasture will produce with rea-
sonable surety, about $500 pounds Of
pork season. Exceptional gains, as
high as 1892 pounds an acre. were
reported in the case of one lot Of hogs
pastured on alfalfa, and given 3 per
cent supplementary ration Of corn.
Naturally the gains on alfalfa depend
on the size and quantity and quality
Of the supplementary feed. 1t is poor
policy to try to make pork on alfalfa
pasturage alone without supplementary
feed.
Hogs on alfalfa pasture, supplement-
ed with about 2 per cent ration Of
corn, barley, wheat shorts, or milo, will
consume from $50 to $50 pounds OF
grain for each hundredweight Of gain
In general the grain requirement in
creases as the hogs get larger. The
feeding values of corn, barley, shorts,
and milo as supplements to alfalfa pas
turage are so nearly identical that the
choice among these side dishes should
depend on prices, cultural adaptability,
and general economic conditions
Where the grain is to be grown by
the swine raiser, preference usually
is given to corn, barley, and the grain
sorghums, depending upon the adapt
ability of these crops to local condi
lions. An acre of good alfalfa pasture
supplemented with 2 per cent ration
of grain will support $500 pounds OF
hogs during the entire growing season.
The carrying capacity of alfalfa pas
lures increases rapidly with greater
grain allowance, and it varies some
what during the growing season with
the rate Of crop growth.
According to specialists of the Unit
ed States department CT agriculture an
acre of good alfalfa pasture, if sup
plemented with 2 per cent ration Of
corn, or barley, will support six to
eight sows and 30 to 70 sucking spring
pigs for about 60 days In early summer,
during which the pigs should gain from
25 to 30 pounds apiece.
Sweet Glover Often Valuable.
A few tests have been conducted to
try out the value Of sweet clover as
hog pasture, and the results have
proved that this crop cannot be regard
ed as a rival Of alfalfa. ~ However, on
soils which are too wet or too salty
for alfalfa, the irrigation farmers find
sweet clover q valuable forage crop.
Rubber-boot farmers are coming to aI-
preciate hOgged-dOWn corn and field
peas as q desirable combination for
pork production, in that it saves labor
produces satisfactory gains in the hogs,
and adds manure to the soil. Extern
sive tests Of '''hcgging corn" reported
in the bulletin show gains of from Isl
to 1,04S pounds an acre of corn when
No supplementary feed was provided,
and from 335 to 1877 pounds an acre
where the corn was supplemented with
other feed. it is estimated that in
these tests an average Of about $50
pounds of corn was required to pro-
duce 100 pounds of gain when no sup
plement was used, as compared with
an average of 400 pounds when the
corn was not in combination with for
age; late alfalfa pasture, or rare. al
falfa pasture is preferable as an ad-
junct to hogged-down corn on irrigated
lands, because Of its cheapness, rele.
tive abundance, anu reliability