226 SWINE IN AMERICA 



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 

 pastured until the second year, and better still, not until 

 the third year if it is desired to keep the field as perma- 

 nent 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 regard- 

 less of whether the ground is muddy or whether the sea- 

 son is dry and hot. In either case heavy pasturing is 

 very likely to cause the alfalfa to be killed out. 



"As to the amount of pasturage or the number of hogs 

 alfalfa will carry per acre without injury to the crop, the 

 estimates given by farmers vary considerably, depending 

 on the kind of soil, the fertility of the land, and the size 

 of the hogs pastured. The following, however, is a safe 

 average estimate as given by conservative men who have 

 had much experience. River valley and creek bottom 

 land well set in alfalfa will carry from 15 to 20 head 

 per acre of 50 to 125 pound hogs. Upland of fair aver- 

 age fertility will support from eight to ten head of the 

 same kind of hogs. There are fields that have supported 

 25 head per acre all through the season for a number of 

 years and are still in good condition, and there are other 

 fields that will not furnish pasture for more than five 

 head per acre ; but these are extremes. When a field is 

 used only for pasture it is better to divide it into several 



