326 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



his domain. If we then can supply him with succulent leaves and 

 roots we will be supplying him with a food to which he is adapted 

 and one which will also lessen the total cost of production. 



If we can, in the 3.3 pounds of digestible matter required for 

 a pound gain, supply one-half or two-thirds with such green for- 

 ages as clover, rape, cowpeas, rye, soybeans, sorghum and corn, 

 we should be able to produce pork at a net cost at marketing time 

 of two to four cents. That we can do this is partly borne out by 

 the results obtained at our own Station during the season just past. 

 The Missouri Experiment Station found during the season of 1908 

 that when hogs are worth five cents a pound 



An acre of clover may be worth $25.77, 

 An acre of rape and oats may be worth $28.60, 

 An acre of cowpeas may be worth $14.23, and 

 An acre of rape alone may be worth $13.20. 



These results show the possible net returns per acre where 

 pork is produced on green forages. 



(The bluegrass lot in this particular experiment gave no net 

 returns.) 



These forages were in each instance supplemented with about 

 one-fourth full feed of corn, and, supposing the rental value of each 

 plot to be $3.00 per acre, and pork to be worth five cents, the fol- 

 lowing prices were obtained for the corn fed : With the blue grass 

 lot 49.9 cents per bushel ; with clover forage, 100 cents per bushel ; 

 with cowpeas, 98.8 cents per bushel; with rape, 77.5 cents per 

 bushel, and with rape and oats forage, 83.2 cents per bushel. These 

 figures show in another way the possible values of corn when fed 

 as a supplement to a forage ration. 



To state the results in still another way, it was found for the 

 season of 1908, that on the blue grass plot the hogs required 5.4 

 pounds of corn to produce a pound gain ; with clover forage they 

 required 2,64 pounds; with cowpeas, 2.90 pounds; with soybeans, 

 2.61 pounds; with rape, 3.52 pounds, and with rape and oats, 3.3 

 pounds. These data show that under similar conditions there is 

 not much difference as to their value pound for pound of clover, 

 cowpeas, soybeans, rape or rape and oats, when corn is supplied 

 as a supplement, and that the value then of one forage as com- 

 pared with another will be determined by its adaptability to dif- 

 ferent soils and seasons and to withstand pasturing. The value of 

 each will be determined by the amount of forage that each will 

 produce for a whole season while being pastured. Each may have 

 its particular place in a rotation of forage crops. 



