THE DIVERSIFIED FARM. 



27 



and delivered onto cars. At this figure 

 there is comparatively little profit, espe- 

 cially where land and labor are dear. 

 Long ago I pointed out that this would be 

 the sure result in every alfalfa raising 

 country, and that the solution of the diffi- 

 culty was to be found in feeding the 

 alfalfa to stock. 



Alfalfa is an excellent basis of food, 

 both for milch cows and fattening steers, 

 but in other cases it must be supplemented 

 with other food, containing an excess of 

 carbohydrates, that is heating and fatten- 

 ing ingredients, in which the alfalfa is de- 

 ficient. In the case of cows, bran is most 

 generally used, while for fattening others, 

 corn and sorghum fodder has given the 

 best results when mixed with an equal 

 quantity of alfalfa. 



For growing animals, however, alfalfa 

 is an ideal food, without the addition of 

 any other matter. It is on this account 

 that young pigs do so well on alfalfa 

 pasture. Many of these will get to over 

 150 pounds in seven months, with nothing 

 but alfalfa, except during the last three 

 weeks when it is advisable to add wheat 

 shorts to their food, mixing 100 pounds of 

 shorts to 500 pounds of alfalfa hay, which 

 should be chopped up with a cutter and 

 fed wet and well mixed up. Of course, 

 corn or corn meal might take the place of 

 the shorts. 



To pasture hogs on alfalfa successfully, 

 it is necessary to observe certain pre- 

 cautions. In the first place you need two 

 pastures, so that one may be fed while the 

 other is being irrigated. Be careful to 

 have a good border between the two 

 pastures, for if water comes into the patch 

 where the hogs are feeding they cannot 

 resist the temptation to root in the cool, 

 moist earth. 



The best means of preventing the hogs 

 from rooting up and eating the alfalfa 

 roots is to cut the hard gristle of their 

 shorts. No amount of rings will prevent 

 them. 



One of the most important points is to 

 see that the hogs have a constant supply 

 of fresh drinking water. Hogs will not 

 thrive if the water emits a stench. Even 

 the pools they wallow in must be changed 

 every week, and they should have a little 

 coal oil and sulphur put in daily, so as to 

 keep off vermin. It is a good plan to 

 nail slats about six inches apart over the 

 feeding and drinking troughs. This pre- 



vents the hogs from getting into the 

 troughs and wallowing in them. Clean- 

 liness is all-important in hog raising. 



Quarters should be provided in separate 

 pens, should the pasture become wet with 

 rains, as they will tramp out and ruin the 

 alfalfa if the land is very wet. It is also 

 very desirable that sunshades be provided. 



While kept in the pens a little sulphur 

 should be put in their feed, and also sul- 

 phur and coal oil and a solution of car- 

 bolic acid sprinkled over where they sleep. 

 They should also have access to charcoal. 



Under the above treatment our hogs in 

 this vicinity are kept perfectly free of 

 disease. 



If the sows farrow in March or April 

 the young pigs can, in this climate, be 

 put upon the pasture at once and they will 

 be fit to market in November or Decem- 

 ber, and the pastures will supply enough 

 green food for the brood sows during the 

 winter. 



I have not said anything about the 

 fences; but, of course, these must be hog- 

 proof. 



By the bye, the alfalfa in a hog pasture 

 should be mowed once or twice during the 

 summer, or whenever it begins to get hard 

 and woody. This will provide plenty of 

 young and tender herbage, which is more 

 nutritious than forage from other plants. 



As regards the number of pigs that may 

 be allowed to run on each acre of pasture, 

 of course this will depend upon circum- 

 stances. The best authorities say from 

 ten to twenty head per acre; but at a con- 

 servative estimate of ten hogs to the acre 

 it will be seen at a glance that the alfalfa 

 will produce far more money, with less 

 labor, than if the alfalfa is sold, baled, at 

 $6 per ton. 



Hog raising on alfalfa will be one of 

 the staple industries of the irrigated West, 

 and I believe that in no part of the world 

 can pork be raised so cheaply, or the 

 animals be kept as free from disease. 



HOW TO GROW WINTER GRAIN 

 WHERE HARD WINDS BLOW. 



BY CLINTON C. HUTCHINSON. 



THE subject of this article is one which 

 has interested the writer many years. 

 In my ' ' Resources of Kansas or Fifteen 

 Years' Experience " published 1891, there 

 is a description of the soils of the region 

 known as " The Plains," which includes a 



