FORAGE CROPS FOR HOGS IN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. 49 



One man in Ohio turned 122 spring pitjs and older hogs into a 10- 

 acre cornfield in September. The total Aveight of the hogs was 15,693 

 ponnds. The spring pigs averaged 82 pounds and the older hogs 150 

 pounds. There was about the same number of each kind. The corn 

 would yield about 00 bushels an acre, and in it there were a good 

 many pumpkins. The hogs had access also to a 5-acre clover field 

 from Avhich the seed had been removed. "Water was hauled to them 

 and the^^ had the shade of the woods near by. In twenty-eight days 

 the hogs had gained 6,522 pounds. At this time 57 head were sold, 

 averaging 245 pounds, bringing $5.15 per hundred. The remainder 

 were not sold, but the farmer was offered $5 per hundred for them. 

 Counting the entire gain of 6,522 pounds at $5 would make $327.00, 

 or $31.20 2)er acre for the field. This paid 52 cents a bushel for the 

 corn which on the market was worth 40 cents. The whole herd of 

 hogs made an average dail}^ gain of 1.92 pounds. 



Another man in southern Kansas makes a practice of "hogging 

 down " corn. He uses a portable fence and fences off 5 to 10 acres 

 at a time, taking in more as needed. He turns the hogs in the corn 

 in August. On 12 acres of corn one year he fattened 50 head of 

 hogs, using about 000 bushels of corn. Of the bunch 42 head were 

 sold, averaging 240 pounds, netting $000. Allowing 100 pounds 

 gain for each hog on the corn thus fed, the corn brought 41^ cents 

 a bushel, without the expense of gathering. 



Another man in Oklahoma has been " hogging down " corn for a 

 number of years. About 500 head of hogs are turned off this farm 

 every year. By gathering and weighing corn beside that which was 

 gathered by hogs, it was found that a bushel of corn " hogged down" 

 will make as much pork as the same quantity husked and fed, while 

 the expense of harvesting is saved ; besides saving the labor of feed- 

 ing the corn to the hogs the field is also cleaned up better than a 

 husked field. 



An Iowa farmer began hogging down corn several years ago, using 

 20 acres the first year. He watched carefully the feeding of the 

 hogs on this field and concluded that no more corn was wasted than 

 would have been left in the field by the average husker. Since that 

 time he has hogged down all his corn, thus saving the expense of 

 husking. This man says the cost of husking for one year will fence 

 the field hog-tight if there is already a wire fence for cattle. Husk- 

 ing 40 acres of corn yielding 40 bushels per acre, at 4 cents per 

 bushel — it has cost nearer 5 cents the last season (1907), figuring 

 board, etc. — amounts to $04. If the 40 acres are a square field this 

 allows 20 cents a rod for the fence the first year. With a cattle 

 fence already provided this will buy the wire to make it a good 

 hog-tight fence. Besides this there are two other great objects to 

 111— nr 



