ALFALFA FOR SWINE. 405 



ing to its condition and the way the -hogs are man- 

 aged. That would mean 8 pigs weighing 150 

 pounds or fewer of larger animals. Not that these 

 pigs would consume all the alfalfa in the field ; it is 

 not desired that they should. It will be mown two 

 or three times and the surplus made into hay. This 

 keeps the alfalfa vigorous and gives a good deal of 

 hay. It also helps the hogs by giving them a fresh 

 bite as it comes up again. 



It is not well to mow off an entire pasture at one 

 time as it leaves nothing for the hogs to eat for 

 some days. 



It will not do to put in enough hogs to eat a pas- 

 ture down close as it destroys the alfalfa after a 

 time, and one can never get a maximum return from 

 land treated in that way. Alfalfa must have a 

 chance to grow, and if it is kept nibbled down close 

 all the time it cannot possibly grow. Thus instead 

 of getting the most out of a pasture by stocking 

 heavily one gets the least out of it. This is a very 

 common error made by beginners in alfalfa growing. 

 Make your alfalfa pastures wide and mow them 

 regularly. Thus treated the animals get the most 

 possible out of them and the pastures themselves 

 will live for a long time. 



Wait for Warm Weather. Do not turn hogs in 

 alfalfa pastures until warm weather comes. The bru- 

 tal disregard for the young, tender plants displayed 

 by some would-be alfalfa growers is most exasperat- 

 ing. Perhaps it comes from their habit of turning 



