12 FARMERS' BULLETIN 614. 



manures and other soil amendments as the farmer can afford under 

 the circumstances. An alternative would be to reduce the number 

 of hogs in proportion to the corn yield, say to three or four for each 

 acre of rye, instead of six. By doing this the rye will last longer and 

 less corn will be required. 



The possibility of securing at least fair yields of corn should be kept 

 in mind in putting this plan in operation outside of the corn belt 

 proper. With the precautions mentioned above, this system as a 

 whole, or modifications of it, should be of value in the reorganization 

 of a large number of farms in other sections as well. 



The system proper should always include two fields of corn, as 

 shown in figure 2. One field should be cut and shocked and later 

 shredded, in order to furnish bedding, while the fodder is being fed 

 in the barn. All or a part of the other field should be hogged down 

 as it may seem wise to do under the circumstances at hand. All the 

 fields in the rotation should be of approximately the same size. With 

 this arrangement and corn yielding 60 bushels per acre, ample corn 

 will be produced to meet the needs of the farm. If the yields are 

 lower than this, the number of hogs must be cut down accordingly, 

 or the difference made up by buying corn. 



The practice of hogging down corn which is called for in this system 

 of management is so prevalent throughout the corn belt that it is not 

 necessary to discuss it at length. 1 Farmers have learned that when 

 properly handled it is a most successful and profitable farm practice. 

 It is not wasteful, it saves a great amount of labor during a rush sea- 

 son when outside labor is badly needed, and it immediately returns 

 to the soil most of the fertility contained in the corn crop. In addi- 

 tion to this, by plowing down the cornstalks and the remaining vege- 

 tation left by the rape and soy beans sown in the corn, a large amount 

 of vegetable matter is turned under, which is very important if crop 

 yields are to be increased and maintained. 



The general experience is that a part of the field should be set off 

 by a temporary fence 2 and that the hogs should not be allowed to 

 cover too large an area at one time. This precaution is a big factor 

 in preventing waste, and it avoids the possibility of having to leave 

 the fieM only partly gathered if it should become necessary to sell 

 tha hogs before the work is finished. This is especially desirable 

 with this system, since only six hogs are to be raised for each acre of 

 corn to be hogged off. In this case, it will take the six hogs, three of 

 which will be fall shotes and three spring pigs, about 60 days to hog off 

 an acre of corn yielding 60 bushels. Very often it may not be desir- 

 able to allow the hogs to cover more than one-half or two-thirds of the 

 field. It would seem advisable, therefore, to fence off from 5 to 8 acres 



1 For a lull discussion of the practice of hogging down corn, see Bulletin 143, Iowa Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station, and Bulletin 104, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. 



2 This fencing is easily done by setting good anchor posts at each side of the field, stretching 25-inch woven- 

 wire fence, and tying it to the hills of corn. 



