The Keota news. (Keota, Weld County, Colo.) 1911-1922, 1919-05-23
CQOD CROPS FOR
PRODUCING PORK
industry In irrigation Country
Subject to Periods Of Expan.
sion and Depression.
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE NOTED

Making Observations In 10 West.
srn Projects on Utilization
Of Field crepa
prepared BY the United States Depart.
mont Of AssioaltureS
Gum shoe" farming for ham and
bacon production does not presupposs
web-fo0ted hogs. Il merely means
that irrigation a. practiced BY some
western farmers Involves conservative
use Of moisture for production Of for.
ago crops which may b harvested d.
rectly In the fields BY the porkefs. The
swine Industry 10 the rubber.boot coun-
try has been subject to periods Of e.
pansion and depression. One cause u
lack Of knowledge - to the possibility
Of using certain irrigated Geld crops.
end a. to the value Of these crops when
measured In terms Of pork production.
II full advantage II taken Of the wide
range Of feeds available 70 swine grow.
crs on irrigated lands. pork production
can be conducted more extensively. and
with moro assurance Of success
Irrigation farmers interested In pork
production have had to rely 90 results
obtained In nonirrigated sections. and
applied to localities whore web-footed
crops grow. This lack Of definite u.
formation was especially noteworthy
In the case Of Geld crops. which u
other sections Of the country are pas.
tured By hogs o. hoGsed Oh. Hence.
since 1912 the department has besa
making observations II its western q.
rtsatioo projects o. the utilization Of
irrigated Geld crops % hog pasture.
These investigations include pasture
tests with no lots consisting Of ans
hogs pastured on alfalfa. sweet clover.
fseld peas. and milo.
Alfalfa Nssds supplementary Ratien.
Pasturins alfalfa with hogs has been
demonstrated q 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 ~ 2 per cent ration Of corn.
barley. milo. wheat. or shorts. Under
such conditions ono good acre Of good
alfalfa pasture will produce. with rea.
sonablc surety. about $500 pounds Of
pork a season. Exceptional gains, %
high as 1902 pounds an acre, were
reported In the case Of one lot Of hogs
pasturcd on alfalfa. and given q 3 per
cent supplementary ration Of corn.
Naturally the gains on alfalfa depend
on the size and quantity and quality
OF the supplementary feed. II 10 poor
policy to try to make pork on alfalfa
pasturage alone without supplementary
feed.
Hogs on alfalfa pasture. supplement.
ed with about a 2 per cent ration Of
corn. barley. wheat shorts. or milo, win
consume from $50 to $50 pounds Of
grain for each hundredwsight Of gain.
In general the grain Requirement In.
creases ~ the hogs get larger. The
feeding values Of corn. harley, shorts.
and milo ~ supplements to alfalfa pa.
turage are % nearly identical that the
choice among these side dishes should
depend on prices, cultural adaptability.
and general economic conditions.
Where the grain 10 to be grown By
the swine raiser. preference usually
10 given to corn. harley, and the grain
sorghums, depending upon the adapt.
ability Of these crops to local eoodi.
lions. An acre Of good alfalfa pasture
supplemented with q 2 per cent ration
Of grain will support $500 pounds Of
hoGs during the entire growing season.