IMPORTANCE OF GOOD PASTURE 19 



Rape Valuable. If there is any prospect in the spring of 

 the pasture lot becoming short or danger of its becoming injured 

 by dry weather, it is desirable to prepare for this emergency by 

 sowing a field of dwarf essex rape, which is the best substitute for 

 clover or alfalfa that I know of. In fact, every hograiser should 

 sow a field of rape, as it is one of the best of all hog feeds. This 

 should be sown as early in the spring as possible after the ground 

 becomes warm, and should not be used as a pasture until it is six 

 inches or more in height. After it once has a good start the pigs 

 will never be able to keep it down, and this feed is good as a pas- 

 ture feed even until freezing weather comes in the fal^ and during 

 the months of July and August when all other kinds of green food 

 are withering and dried out this will furnish a very satisfactory 

 green feed. 



We have fed more or less rape for years and have never had 

 anything but good results. Occasionally I have read of some 

 trouble with the pigs becoming scabby or sore about the ears and 

 parts of the body that come in contact with the rape; especially 

 when there was a dew or slight rain, making the leaves wet. I 

 understand, however, this trouble occurs only with the white breed 

 of hogs; their skin seems a little more sensitive and inclined to 

 blister in the sun, especially if wet. 



An acre or two of rape, if a good stand and on good soil, will 

 produce a surprising amount of first-class pasture. If it is desira- 

 ble to sow a spring grain to be used before rape could become the 

 proper size for grazing, a mixture of barley and oats and even field 

 peas makes a desirable mixture to sow. I believe a hog prefers 

 green barley sown early in the spring to any of the other varieties 

 of spring-sown grain. Why this is I cannot explain, but if a patch 

 of oats and another of barley are sown early in the spring, side by 

 side, and pigs turned into the two lots when grain is a few inches 

 high, they will eat the barley all off and give little attention to 

 the oats, probably for the reason that the barley is more palatable. 



Shade Natural or Artificial? The question of shade in the 

 pastures or lots where pigs are % kept during the summer, is of great 

 importance. The pig being an animal that does not perspire, of 

 course can not stand excessive heat and must have shade or suffer 

 the consequences. 



Where the hog pastures can be arranged in a wooded lot, that 

 is all that can be desired. Where such is not the case artificial 

 shade of some kind must be furnished. In lots on open, sunny land 

 where there are no trees, very satisfactory arrangement for shade 

 can be had by setting posts along the division fence every sixteen 

 feet with corresponding posts eight feet each side of the fence, 

 about four or five feet high along the fence with the outer ones 

 about two and a half feet high, thus forming a covered place six- 

 teen feet square with the roof slightly sloping to the east and to 

 the west, or even each of the four ways. The cover should be of 



