The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1924-03-20


nFeed is the greatest expense u
hog production. Pasture and forags
GROWN at home is cheaper than any
| feed can buy. The more feed can
grow each year on an acre, the more
profitable that acre, naturally. l nave
been surprised at how much one reaily
can get out of an acre.
~ plant soy beans with the corn
At the last cultivation l SOW three
pounds of rape to the acre. also
nlant pumpkins. When the time comes
to turn in the hogs they have corn,
soys, rape and pumpkins-all good
feed. almost balanced ration, ana
| the soil on every one of those acres
is better the next year.
"Following corn I SOW small gram
rye for winter pasture, or oats IN
spring. AS early as possible IN the
spring SOW in the small grain mix
| ture of sweet clover, red clover alfal-
fla, alsike and rape. If ! have rye, |
turn in the stock as soon as the ground
is dry enough The grass seed is not
injured. In wet weather l shift the
stock over to blue grass. My rye or
oats will all be hogged down, and l
have left great legume pasture. THIS
pasture will carry more stock than
any other pasture can find 1t quad
ruples the carrying capacity per acre.
It will last three to six years, and l
never yet have turned in enough hogs,
sheep, horses, and cattle to put it out
of commission. When it is finally
plowed under, the corn does grow.
"Pasture is the limiting factor in
the number of brood sows. When
had only l4O acres, / found SO sows
to be as many as could keep eco
nomically.
III need say little about alfalfa
every good hog man knows its merit
as pasture and hay. Alfalfa hay is
great factor in keeping down the cost
of wintering my sows.
Wintering sows have found need
not be so expensive. My sows each
get quarter pound of tankage, an
ear or ear and half of corn, and
about four pounds of alfalfa hay
daily. This is ample. The stems of
the hay furnish bedding. | mix no
slops-the hogs can mix their own
feeds
III let the hogs do as much of their
own work as possible.
.'The greatest obstacles to success
with hogs are disease and price. I'm
munization removes the cholera fac
tor. Proper feed, ventilation, and
general care will prevent most other
diseases.
"The price question is always pres
emit, keeping the cost of growing the
hogs to the minimum is the safest |
answer
"Purebreds are the most efficient
hogs / have kept nothing else for
years, first Durocs and now Hamp-
shires.
1T buy the best male hogs I can
find anywhere in the breed, because
with good sires I can get better hogs
that grow more economically
III might remark here that farming
can seldom be completely specialized
business. may be hog specialist,
but need cows, and some sheep and
poultry besides. 1 fill silos with corn
from which the ears have been strip
ped. This cheap silage helps carry the
milk cows, and also fattens out some
heap cattle that pick up, around
he country and make good profit on
because their feed bill is small. When
he hogs are turned into the cornfield
hey get the ears we strip from the
ilage corn.
III am sixty-two years old, and have
'een handling hogs for fifty years,
tut every year I learn more abous
hem. No man can find out and know
great deal by himself. We are all
umans, made of the same clay, but
ONE have more gray matter than
theirs. watch the fellow who has
lore gray matter than I have. 1 have
earned much about handling hogs and
arms from experiment stations, agri-
ultural colleges, from other farmers,
nd from farm papers. The world has
cen good to me, and if anything I
ave leaned will help someone else
hall be very happy to tell it,"