29 



An acre of rape furnished 22 tons of green fodder, and an acre of soy beans 

 15 tons of green fodder. 



Soy beans had a higher feeding value per ton than rape, but when the dif- 

 ference in yield was taken into consideration, the two crops proved about equal in 

 amount of pork produced per acre. 



Eape has an advantage over soy beans in that it may be sown on a wider range 

 of dates, and retains its green condition for a longer period. 



Eape also makes a better pasture crop than soy beans, as it suffers less from 

 trampling. 



Clover and Timothy. — In experiments at the Iowa Experiment Station, 

 hogs were pastured upon both clover and timothy. Without going into details, it 

 may be said that the experiments indicate tliat clover produced pork at the rate of 

 400 pounds per acre, and timothy at the rate of 278 pounds per acre. This is 

 probably more than can be expected from these crops as a general rule. 



Hairy Vetch or Sand Vetch. — ^This crop is very much relished by 

 hogs, and if sown in the fall gives an early pasture of high nutritive value. 

 Smooth vetch is sown in the spring, but it is rather late in the season before it is 

 ready for pasture, and does not give the amount of pasture which is desirable. The 

 liability of hairy vetch to winter-kill in some districts when sown in the fall, and 

 the high price of seed, prevent the crop from becoming widely popular. 



Various Forage Crops. — Bulletin 95 of the Missouri Experimental 

 Station reports three years' work with several forage crops. 



Shelled corn and corn meal were used to supplement ihe rape and the 

 leguminous forage; and a ration of corn meal G parts and oil meal 1 part was used 

 to supplement the sorghum, blue grass, and rye grain forage?. 



Blue Grass. — " An average of 12,6 head of hogs was pastured for an 

 average of 155.3 days for the seasons of 1908-09-10, and produced on the average 

 285.2 pounds of pork which could be accredited to each acre of forage eaten. With 

 pork at 6 cents per pound there was returned per acre of blue grass forage an 

 average of $17.12. The average amount of grain per pound gain was 4.49 pounds. 

 Profits from hogs on blue grass forage must be secured early in the s«ason. The 

 blue grass forage became dry and unfit for swine grazing purposes in August." 



Alfalfa. — " Under ordinary conditions alfalfa will forage from 10 to 20 

 shoats per acre. A new seeding should be pastured very slightly the first season. 

 N"o larger number than ten shoats per acre or one sow and her litter should be 

 used. After the first season as high as 20 head per acre or two sows and their 

 litters may be pastured on it throughout the season." Only one test was con- 

 ducted with alfalfa and this on newly seeded ground. The test was started with 

 12 hogs per acre, which number was reduced to 10 at the end of eight weeks. The 

 hogs averaged 58.5 pounds at the commencement of the test, and were turned on 

 the alfalfa when it was six inches high. " The average amount of grain required 

 to produce a pound gain was 3.07 pounds. The amount of pork which could be 

 accredited to the alfalfa forage was 596.8 pounds per acre. With pork at 6 cents 

 the return per acre was $35.73." 



Red Clover. — Two tests were conducted with red clover, and it is stated 

 that clover will pasture from 8 to 12 shoats per acre. It is recommended not to 

 pasture clover until it is 10 inches high. The bulletin recommends feeding shoats 

 about a pound of corn per head per day. 



"A herd averaging 11 hogs was pastured for an average of 130 days for the 

 seasons of 1908 and 1910, and produced an average of 572.2 pounds of pork that 



