SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IV. 293 



I do not think it is safe to pasture alfalfa quite as close as 

 clover and in order to guard against loss of crop it is well to 

 avoid pasturing too closely." 



"What do you think of manure as protection against freez- 

 ing out?" was another question which Mr. Curtiss answered: 

 "I think that strong alfalfa in good condition will do about as 

 well without manure as with it. It would be better to have 

 the protection in another way. Apply the manure before you 

 put the alfalfa in and get a strong growth, avoid close pasture 

 and risk that for protection." 



The subject of rape was brought up and one gentleman said: 

 'T would like to hear the experience of some of the breeders 

 with growing rape. I sowed rape in oats one year and by 

 the time the oats was ripe the rape was above the oats. Another 

 year I had a patch of rape and I had two sows with eight 

 pigs that I wanted to give an extra chance. I turned them 

 into the rape and they got mange and were the poorest I ever 

 had." Prof. Curtiss replied : 'T have heard some complaint 

 about rape getting up so high as to interfer with the crop. 

 Some advise sowing three weeks after the grain crop. We 

 have had no difficulty sowing at the same time. We have tried 

 it and followed that practice and never have been troubled 

 although I know there is some complaint. One thing to 

 guard against is pasturing it with young pigs when you have 

 a rank, vigorous growth or when it is wet. If you have a heavy 

 growth of anything and turn pigs into it when it is wet you will 

 have difficulty. Practical experienced hog men know it does 

 not do to have pigs run through wet pasture," 



Mr. Turner asked Prof. Curtiss if alfalfa would winter kill 

 if grown on sloughs that are tiled out and Mr. Curtiss said : 

 "You must have surface drainage in addition to subteranean 

 drainage because when the ground is frozen the water stand- 

 ing there in the winter will kill the alfalfa. If yoii have a 

 bottom ground that is sloping so as to guard against that, I 

 think you can grow it successfully. We are growing it upon 

 bottom land." 



