The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1921-09-02
"Hogging Down" Corn

farmers fell into the habit of let
ting their hogs run in the corntield
in September and October and al
lowing them to eat ears and stalks
until all that remained could be
plowed under. Some also turned
hogs into the rye in the spring and
let them range on the tender and
succulent stalks unit they became
too woody to be palatable. This
/ process was termed 'hogging
down. Then came a crusade tor
''clean farming tvpited by har-
vesting and shocking the corn
stalks, husking the yellow ears and
plling them into the cribs later to
be fed to the same hogs. Hog
ging down was decreed to be shift
less evasion of honest toll. The
'hogging down" farmers fell into
disfavor and dropped the practice
to large extent. Meantime the
labor market was Tightening and
days work came to be regarded
not so much as something to be got
ten out of the farmer or his sons or
a hired man, but as a period to be
paid for IN money that could be
used for other purposes.
The United States Department of
Agriculture and some of the ex-
, pertinent stations in corn states
f have OF late years given careful at
n tention to the possibilities of feed
5 ing stock on the cafeteria plan.
:" Today 1t is in use on hundreds OF
9 corn belt farms and in many other
IL localities IN all parts of the country
e where corn is grown. Hogging
u u down corn saves labor, while caus-
ing no more waste than when the
- corn is harestved and hand fed.
Properly managed. it keeps the hogs
in better condition and adds weight
more rapidly 1t distributes ma
er nure uniformly. 1t leaves the
"a ground in fair condition for the
Is next crop.
1e A system that is widely used calls
sc for fencing the farm into parts
T. if you wish to retain a permanent
IL pasture. Corn is planted in the lst
section and as soon as the kernels
IL have become hard the hogs are turn
or ed in. As they have been on other
~ teed, it will take week or ten
" days feeding to get them entirely
on a corn diet. In the corn belt
Is, latitude they may be expected to
is live entirely IN the corn field from
10 about September 10 until the crop
rs. is consumed. 1t is generally found
w. best not to permit the hogs range OF
nm the entire field. but to erect tenn
ira porary fences. These can easily be
built of 25-inch wide wire mesh.
MS fastened to anchor posts at the ends
ch and tied to corn stalks instead OF
ne line posts.
oi Ii a supplemental crop such as
rape, cowpeas. soy beans, or even
'ho pumpkins, has been sowed among
the corn, it will provide protein
feed which the corn lacks. Pigs
, easily learn to pull down the corn
stalks tor the ears and waste less
~, time than when fed in the yard
w. The following spring the stalks and
trash that remain on the surface
~. ~ OF the field are cut over with q
'' . sharp disk and the ground prepared
''' Tor End crop of corn, which il
harvested by hand, while the corr
o, for 'hogging down" is planted II
- the End tract. Rye is sown on thi:
10 field in the fall, either with l-hors'
drill between the rows, or aftel
,'o the corn is harvested. The rye ma,
'c'' be used to get stand Of clover ant
~ timothy, the timothy being sowl
'e' with the rye and the clover the mex
spring. The rye is used tor hos
pasture from early spring until tn
'""' stalks become too hard. 1t will b
,,., found valuable pasture for broo'
-. 80 sows with young pigs. After tn
's"- pigs cease to consume the rye the
are taken out and not returned un
til after the grain becomes rip
It when they are allowed to consum
the entlres crop and Craze on tn
wen young clover until time to tur
take them into the corn in September
rnal The clover and timothy come o
the the next year and are used for no
,est pasture and the best parts kept fo
mid. nav for other stock The fifth yea
the the timothy and clover crop is CT
tor hay and the sod turned unde