ALFALFA FOR SWINE. 409 



When a field is used only for pasture it is better to divide it into 

 several lots and move the hogs from one to the other as occa- 

 sion requires. 



Causes of Failure. Those who have failed with it as pasture 

 owe their failure to two causes: The first is that the alfalfa has 

 been pastured before it has become well rooted. Young alfalfa 

 is too tender a plant to stand severe treatment except under very 

 favorable circumstances. There are a few farmers who have pas- 

 tured it the same year it was sown and the alfalfa has survived; 

 but this was on rich heavy loam soil, usually creek bottom or 

 river valley land with water not far below the surface, and the 

 season was very favorable. Ordinarily alfalfa should not be pas- 

 tured until the second year, and better. still not until the third 

 year if it is desired to keep the field as permanent pasture. 



The second cause of failure with alfalfa is heavy pasturing and 

 lack of judgment in pasturing in unfavorable seasons. A good 

 many farmers have sown a small piece of alfalfa, and then, 

 because it has grown rapidly and all kinds of stock are fond of 

 it, they have turned all the stock on the farm on it and have 

 wondered why their alfalfa was killed out. Others pasture re- 

 gardless of whether the ground is muddy or whether the season 

 is dry and hot. In either case heavy pasturing is very likely to 

 cause the alfalfa to be killed out. 



Length of Pasture Season. The length of the season during 

 which this pasture is furnished also varies. Alfalfa is ready for 

 pasture on the average from the middle of April in southern Okla- 

 homa to the middle of May in northern Kansas. It is not best 

 to pasture earlier, as the young alfalfa has not the start it 

 should have for heavy pasturing, nor has it the substance in the 

 plant. When not pastured too early, it will furnish feed at the 

 rate mentioned during nearly the whole season until October 

 in the northern part and November in the southern part of the 

 section referred to. In some years the pasture season will con- 

 tinue a month later in the autumn, owing to the rainfall and the 

 lateness of cool weather. In some seasons, if the summer is un- 

 usually dry and hot, the pasture will become short; but usually 

 pasture for the number of hogs mentioned can be depended on for 

 about seven months of the year at the southern limit of the ter- 

 ritory named and for about five months at the northern limit. 

 This rule will apply to other sections of the country having the 

 same climatic conditions as Oklahoma and Kansas. 



While many farmers pasture alfalfa fields to their full capacity, 

 in some sections, especially in northern Kansas, it is customary 

 to run about half as many hogs as the alfalfa fields will support. 



