Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-04-07

lhe cropping system tor a success
full hog and seed corn farm followed
for several years past is as follows:
I'D Corn and soy beans; (2) Corn;
.(3) Oats; (4) Clover.
Eighty acres of land in four equal
fields are devoted to this rotation.
The soy beans are cut for hay, which
is fed to the hogs in winter. The clo-
yer is used for hog pasture. The oats
are used as feed for the work stock
and hogs. What hay is needed is
bought. Not much is needed, how
ever, in addition to the soy bean hay,
corn stover, and sheaf oats or oat
straw produced on the farm. Last
year $50 bushels of seed corn were
sold at an average price of ST 81 per
bushel. The remainder of the crop is
fed, any deficiency being made up by
purchase. This system has been in
vogue without essential change for
ten years. Adjacent land poorly man
aged, produces probably IS bushels of
corn per acre. During the past four
years, the average yield Of corn on
this farm has been so 2-5 bushels per
acre.
Fifteen brood sows are kept. These
are well-bred Duroc-Jerseys, breed
especially adapted to the production
of large, late-maturing hogs. These
sows farrow once a year, early in
April, or after danger of severe win
ter weather is past. They raise eight
Ipigs to the litter on the average. In
spring, the 20 acre clover field is d.
Ivided into two parts by means of a
Temporary wire fence 30 inches high;
One part contains IL acres and the
lother 8. One hundred and twenty
yearling hogs, weighing about 200 lbs.
each, are placed in the l2-acre inclo-
sure in early spring and remain un-
til they are sent to market about Aug.
to Aug. 10. The IS sows and l20
pigs are turned into the S-acre divis-
ion, where they remain till the large
hogs on the l2-acre division are mar
keted, when they are allowed the run
of the whole 20 acres.
At first, SOW and her litter receives
3 pounds of corn a day. Sometimes
a little oats is substituted for part OF
the corn. The amount of the corn
or grain is gradually increased until
by fall each SOW and litter receives
obout ! ] pounds day. The sows are
allowed to wean the pigs of their owl
accord. At one side of the field q
pen is constructed in such a manne,
as to admit the pigs but not the SOW,
and the pigs may thus be fed separate
y so as to insure their getting proper
share of the feed By the end of the
summer, the pigs weigh about 100 tc
us pounds each, most of this gair
being due to clover.
The brood sows are fed in winter
about 4 pounds day of mixed grains
Last winter this consisted of grounc
rye, shorts, oil meal, and corn. Ir
the absense of rye, bran is used. They
are also fed clover hay, a small cror
OF which is cut from the clover pas
lures. This amount of feed keep.
them in thrifty condition, but does no
fatten them
The pigs in winter are fed soy bear
hay and an average of about 5 pound:
of grain per head per day. During a
portion of the time, this grain consists
of a mixture of about 3 IL lbs Of
corn, 3-4 pound of shorts, and 3-4
pound of oil meal per day per head
The amount fed is less in early win.
ter and gradually increases as the pigs
increase in size. By spring these pigs
will weigh about 200 to 225 pounds
each.
When pigs are placed in their win
ter quarters Con. about 4 acres of clio.
yer sod) the shelter houses are moved
there, corn stover is used for bedding.
They are built on skids; the larger
shelters are s by IA it,, 7 ft. high in
front, and 4 #. high in rear. They
are built on skids made of 2 by 8 in.
stuff that set as sled runners and Der,