l62 SWINE IN AMERICA 



This estimate of the product of an acre of clover or of 

 alfalfa may be considered rather low (especially for 

 alfalfa), as often a larger yield is obtained in a favor- 

 able season. In fact, in an experiment at the Oregon 

 station (Bulletin No. 80 j in which 12 pigs about three 

 months old were hurdled on good clover from Alay 2 to 

 August 2, results nearly one-third better were secured. 

 In addition to the clover the pigs were given 317 pounds 

 of shorts (worth $11 a ton), 69 pounds of whole milk 

 (worth 90 cents a hundredweight) and 1,207 pounds of 

 skim milk (worth 15 cents a hundredweight). A gain of 

 253 pounds was reported, valued at 4>^ cents a pound. 

 The pigs utilized 26 square rods of clover. As the gain 

 was worth $11.38 and the supplementary feed (shorts 

 and milk) cost but $4.17, the profit by means of clover 

 pasture was $7.21, from which the deduction was made 

 in the report of the experiment that "it seems that one 

 acre of good clover for growing hogs represents a value 

 of $44-36." 



If the foregoing table, compiled by the author from the 

 figures of scientific observers, may be accepted as reliable 

 in practice, it is evident that an acre of alfalfa is worth 

 for growing swine as much as six acres of average 

 wheat, more than four acres of good oats, almost as 

 much as 2 2-5 acres of good corn, and equal in value 

 to I 2-^ acres of clover. 



SOILING y 



Soiling may be defined as the practice of providmg 

 confined live stock with freshly cut forage. Its advan- 

 tages have long been recognized, and one of the earliest 



