290 lOU A DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the acreage of alfalfa on the college farm during the present season. In 

 a blue-grass pasture we have pastured thirty-six prospective show 

 barrows since the first of May. These hogs have had no grain what- 

 ever since the date named, yet they are in excellent condition, and 

 growing though making but little if any increase in weight. The 

 principle which I wish to emphasize in feeding hogs, is that in order 

 to insure the best health, vigor, fecundity and profit in hog raising the 

 herd should be handled as largely as possible in the open field and 

 pasture and that during a period of six or seven months of the year 

 alfalfa, clover, rape and other forage crops should constitute an 

 important adjunct to the grain ration and at times the green fields may 

 furnish even the major part of the ration with marked advantage and 

 profit. 



Following Mr. Curtiss' paper a number of questions were ask- 

 ed by dijfferent breeders concerning alfalfa and clover and their 

 use as a balancing ration with corn. Mr. Curtiss answered these 

 questions in a little additional talk in which he said : "The 

 question of the possibility of balancing a corn ration with 

 clover or alfalfa or other crops of that character instead of the 

 grain crops or by-products from the factories was one of the 

 central thoughts of my paper although I did not go into all 

 phases of it and make all parts clear; but that is one of the very 

 first advantages. These products which we have used as balanc- 

 ing rations with corn are becoming more expensive every year. 

 Back about ten or twelve years, in 1892 and 1893, we were buy- 

 ing gluten feed at thirteen do^llars, f. o. b., at Ames ; today it 

 costs from eighteen to twenty-two dollars and frequently higher 

 than that, and you all know that shorts have advanced in price 

 in proportion and I believe that we can balance our corn ration 

 much more economically and to better advantage with good 

 pasture during the summer, spring and autumn that we can by 

 using the grain and factory by-products, which are so much 

 more expensive. Of course we can not substitute pasture 

 entirely, for the young pigs especially. We must use some 

 nitrogenous foods but to a muclj less extent if we have the right 

 kind of pasture and forage crops. I think there are but few 

 localities in Iowa where alfalfa can not be raised and will not 

 be in the near future. I believe that if we had no^ more rain 

 in the fall than some of the regions further west where they 

 grow it and if we had the same incentive as they, wc wiMild have 



