TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 573 



spring he plows again and plants corn. He does not ring his hogs, of 

 course. Many other farmers have noticed that running hogs on grass 

 pasture greatly diminishes the quantity of the weed. 



With the second plan, the land is first plowed. This accomplishes sev- 

 eral purposes; it loosens the soil so that hogs can root more easily; it 

 turns under all other vegetation, thereby limiting the hogs to. the bindweed 

 only; and it turns many of the roots and rootstocks to the surface, where 

 the hogs can see them and get them to better advantage; It is often best 

 to plow the infested land more than once during the season. Only a small 

 quantity of feed should be given the hogs in order that they may be forced 

 to devote their attention to the bindweed. Although hogs may not make 

 quite as good gains on this diet as on oth^s, many farmers have reported 

 that their hogs have done very well under such treatment. It is a good 

 plan to have more hogs than are necessary to keep down the bindweed 

 growth and to move them to other pastures at times. 



A typical case of the employment of this method of eradication is that 

 of Mr. Price N. Jones, of Towanda, 111. Mr. Jones had a small patch of 

 about a quarter of an acre of blackberries in which the bindweed became 

 so thick that the bushes ceased to make much growth. He cut them down 

 in September and plowed the land soon afterwards. The fence was then 

 opened to admit some 15 hogs from an adjoining grass lot of 3 acres. The 

 hogs were not on a full feed of corn and at once began rooting vigorously 

 at the bindweed. During the fall, winter, and spring they rooted the 

 field over thoroughly, and practically no "bindweed has come up since. 



The use of this method means that the land must be given up to this 

 treatment for at least a year. Just how long it requires to completely 

 eradicate the weed it is difficult to say, since it depends upon conditions, 

 especially on how deep the underground parts go. Where the weed does 

 not root deeply, a year is probably enough. Where it does root deeply, 

 two years might be required. It is best to put the land to a cultivated 

 crop following hog pasturing in order to kill the scattering growth that 

 may persist. 



As a suggestion, this method of hog pasturing might be used for short 

 periods in a regular rotation without interfering in any way with the 

 rotation. For instance, Mr. Jones turned hogs on oats stubble one sum- 

 mer, the field being seeded to clover, the hogs being kept on during the 

 fall and winter and rooting up the soil a good deal, but not enough to 

 damage the clover seriously. He plowed this field the following fall and 

 put the hogs on again till spring, and then planted corn. He states that 

 the bindweed is very materially reduced. 



There are certain features about hog pasturing that limit its use as 

 a means of weed control. The water supply is one of them. It is, of 

 course, much more convenient to have water in the field than to transport 

 it. Most farmers have their hog lots close to the farm buildings, which is 

 more convenient than having them at a distance. Again, it is necessary 

 to make the fences "hog tight," if they are not already so, which involves 

 labor and expense. This, however, may be done cheaply by putting up a 

 temporary hog fence, which, after the hogs are taken off, is to be removed 

 and used again. It is therefore difficult to say whether or not a particular 



