FORAGE CROPS FOR HOGS TN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. 48 



As an example of the value of English bluegrass, the experience of 

 one farmer in northern Oklahoma may be cited. He uses only 

 English bluegrass and wild grass as pasture. On 12 acres of the 

 bluegrass sown the fall before, he pastured 150 head of stock hogs 

 all the spring until about the middle of May. The hogs were then 

 taken off and the grass allowed to go to seed. This farmer states that 

 he harvested a crop of seed larger than the ordinary crop. 



Bermuda grass is not much used as a pasture for hogs, but should 

 be grown more in regions to wliich it is adapted. It is relatively 

 rich in protein, is not easily killed out by pasturing, and withstands 

 drought well. It is often used as a soil binder and might well be 

 used for hog pasture. Many hilly farms that are now washing 

 badly could be put in Bermuda grass and pastured to stock, thus 

 saving the land and building up the soil. Some farmers are begin- 

 ning to make use of this grass and are fencing it for hog pasture. 

 It withstands heavy grazing, i-ooting, and trampling. 



Some farmers have fenced in the prairie grass and are now grazing 

 their hogs on it. While it does not liave a very high feeding value, 

 hogs will do very well on it with grain. One man claims that prairie 

 grass will make hogs hold their own at the rate of G head per acre. 



BOOT CROPS. 



The root crops most used in this territory are potatoes, artichokes, 

 peanuts, and sugar beets. 



Artichokes are a very good root crop to use for hogs. They can be 

 planted in the sj)ring the same way as potatoes and cultivated the 

 same. In the fall the hogs can be turned in to harvest them. They 

 thus furnish a good late fall and winter food, especially for brood 

 sows and shoats. One farmer claims that 1 acre will keep from 20 to 

 30 head in fine condition from October till spring. Their use reduces 

 considerably the amount of corn that must be fed. Xone of the tubers 

 need be dug except for seed ; the hogs will dig the rest. Early in the 

 fall hogs do not eat artichokes readily. In winter and spring they eat 

 them greedily. 



Artichokes have a tendency to become a pest on cultivated land, or 

 if planted continuously on the same land they become diseased. They 

 may be grown very successfully, however, in a pasture crop rotation 

 for hogs. As the acreage needed is not large, they can be planted on a 

 part of a field in March or April and the rest of the field sown to rape. 

 In August the part sown to rape can be reseeded to rape for fall pas- 

 ture. This field can be sown to oats the next spring after rape, and 

 barley sown after the artichokes. The crop may be pastured continu- 

 ously if needed, or later mowed for hay. In August, after this crop is 

 m-iv 



