CEREAL CULTIVATION WESTERN AREA 413 



the maturing crop entirely, including the grain. With 

 good management, this method is found to be the most 

 economical and otherwise satisfactory one for utilizing a 

 limited acreage of grain. In addition to the soil im- 

 provement and easy means of stock-feeding, there is a 

 saving of the cost of harvesting, thrashing, and market- 

 ing the grain. Hunter (19,14) gives much information of 

 value on the subject. 



438. Hogging off wheat. The season for hogging 

 off wheat runs from four to six weeks, beginning at the 

 stiff dough stage, and continuing until stubble fields are 

 available, or until other crops are ready for similar use. 

 Soft-kerneled varieties with awnless spikes are preferred, 

 for obvious reasons. Club wheats and other varieties 

 that do not shatter have the advantage of reducing the 

 waste of grain. An instance in Whitman County, Wash- 

 ington, may be mentioned as an example of hogging off 

 wheat, in which 109 hogs were fed on 7 A acres of standing 

 wheat and 1 acre of other pasture from July 30 to August 

 17. The hogs made a gain of 212 pounds an acre and gave 

 a net value an acre of $15.73. The net gain from the 

 sale of wheat from 44 acres adjoining, yielding 19f bushels 

 an acre, was $8.04 an acre. 



439. Hogging off barley. Barley, for hogging off, 

 has an advantage of being one of the first crops available. 

 Hooded varieties, which are the kinds preferred, if sown 

 early in the spring, will ripen 10 to 15 days earlier 

 than winter wheat. Mature awned barley is not satis- 

 factory because of the effect of the awns on the hog's 

 mouth. On the other hand, the awned varieties out-yield 

 the hooded. The former are often allowed to stand until 

 the fall rains have softened the awns. This gives time 

 after harvest for the hogs to glean stubble fields. In 



