154 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



perfectly into a rotation where corn is the principal crop. Out of 

 78 replies from the northern half of the State, as to the best forage 

 crops for hogs, 39 gave clover first place, and 12 more gave clover in 

 connection with some other crop, as the best forage, showing that 51 

 out of 78 of our correspondents in the northern half of the State, con- 

 sider that it takes clover or a mixture of clover to make the best hog 

 pasture. The 81 replies from the southern half of the State, give clover 

 first place in 38 instances, and clover in connection with other crops in 

 five more, making clover a part of the best hog pasture in 43 out of 

 81 cases. The general distribution and popularity of clover as a forage 

 crop is due to its general adaptability to the conditions found in this 

 State ; there is no serious drawback to it as a hog pasture. It is, how- 



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Fig. 3. ALFALFA FURNISHES MORE PASTURE THAN RED CLOVER. 



ever, in addition to being a biennial, more easily killed by heavy 

 pasturing than is blue grass or timothy. If heavily pastured when 

 small, the hogs eat off the crown and kill the plant, or too heavy 

 pasturing at any season of the year may cause serious injury. If the 

 clover is to be pastured heavilj^, the hogs should not be turned in until 

 the clover is several inches high. Clover is at its best for hog pasture 

 when heading and blossoming, but if the hogs are not turned in until 

 the clover reaches this state it will take a very large number to keep 

 the pasture from getting too ripe. After the heads are ripe the plant 

 is so woody that the hogs do not relish it as pasture. When the plant 

 is in this stage it should be cut or clipped and a new and succulent 

 growth allowed to spring up. The clover can be pastured heavily 

 enough to keep the pasture from getting woody, but when pastured 

 this heavily, a short dry spell is liable to cause it to die. Alsike clover 

 is better in some regions than red clover, especially in low, moist 



