Live Stock Breeders' Association. 221 



is essentially the same as that given for the boar, except that, 

 owing to the fact that she is more easily governed, she may be 

 allowed even a greater range. If she is in good condition at the 

 time the pasture season opens and has abundant forage she will 

 need but little, if any, grain. Good forage with hogs is just about 

 equal to a maintenance ration, and even fair gains are recorded 

 for alfalfa pasture. At the North Platte Sub-station in Nebraska 

 it was found that sows weighing 200 pounds each gained .43 

 pounds per day for sixty-three days on alfalfa pasture and no 

 grain. If one has no alfalfa, forage may be provided by using 

 some of the following : Rape alone makes a very good forage crop 

 but does not withstand dry weather very well, and therefore may 

 be alternated with lots sown to the following mixture: Rape 2 

 pounds, cane or corn 20 pounds, cowpeas 8 pounds, or this mixture 

 may be varied by the addition of oats or barley, if sown early. 

 Rape, when fed with corn, has been found to be worth $18 to $20 

 per acre. A very good method, if there are several lots to sow, is 

 to plow them all, and then fit and sow a lot each successive week ; 

 by so doing one will have a fresh lot of green forage for several 

 weeks to turn into. Do not pasture rape or alfalfa too closely, and 

 it will rapidly recuperate, thus furnishing a fresh crop of forage. 

 If the rape becomes lousy, the ravages of the little pest may be 

 checked by pasturing off quickly. If alfalfa is the forage crop, 

 only such a number of hogs should be turned on as will allow a 

 portion of the first cutting of hay to be cut while the hogs are yet 

 being pastured upon it. From succotash mixtures of forage the 

 Michigan Station found that 11.44 tons of green forage could be 

 produced from an acre. If bluegrass is used for pasture and the 

 season is dry, it may be found that it will not maintain sows in 

 normal flesh, and in addition a pound to a pound and a half grain — 

 corn and middlings — may have to be given. Upon the whole, the 

 principles to be kept in mind in the care of the sow are that she be 

 given plenty of exercise and not too concentrated foods, and that 

 at the time of breeding she should be in fair flesh and increasing 

 in weight. She should be bred to farrow in March or the fore 

 part of April. 



During the winter, if there be but a small number of sows, 

 a very good plan is to let them have the run of the cattle yards, 

 and sleep in hog cots, if the yards are not too crowded ; and if the 

 cattle are running loose, the sows should be taken out at least six 

 weeks before farrowing time to prevent injury. Aside from the 

 food they may gather in yards, they should be given drink regu- 



