DISPOSAL OF IRRIGATED CROPS THROUGH THE USE OF HOGS. 3 



the condiments fed, sprays used, interest on investment, risk, and 

 labor are not considered in this report. The term " net return," as 

 used in the following text and tables, refers to the difference between 

 the total return and the estimated value of grain fed and is not to be 

 taken as the net return of the land after production costs and interest 

 charges have been deducted. 



The hogs in these experiments had access to salt, slacked coal, and 

 rock phosphate most of the time. They were also sprayed with coal-tar 

 creosote every two or three weeks to keep them free from lice. In fact, 

 they received the treatment that every farmer should give his hogs. 

 The hog usually receives the least care and consideration of any 

 farm animal. It is commonly believed that anything is good enough 

 for hogs, but, on the contraiy, the hog will respond as much to good 

 care and treatment as any kind of live stock. Regularity in feeding, 

 both in time and quantity of feed, clean quarters, and freedom from 

 lice are three very important factors that are essential to successful 

 hog raising; and these were provided in the experiments under con- 

 sideration. The data here reported are the results of tests covering 

 one to four years. In the alfalfa pasturing experiment, two lots of 

 hogs were used each season, and in the corn hogging experiment, 

 with supplemental feeds, duplicate lots were used. 



ALFALFA PASTURING EXPERIMENTS. 



ALFALFA PASTURE SUPPLEMENTED WITH A 2 PER CENT RATION OF CORN. 



The alfalfa pasturing experiments were begun in 1913 and con- 

 tinued in 1914 and 1915. Each year a quarter-acre plat was used. 

 The plat was divided into two equal parts and the hogs were changed 

 from one to the other as the pasture became short. This allowed the 

 alfalfa to recuperate and at the same time provided fresh, palatable 

 feed. It was the plan to pasture the alfalfa to its full carrying 

 capacity but not to overgraze. This made it necessaiy to remove 

 some of the hogs during the latter part of the experiment, for as 

 the season advanced and the nights became cool the alfalfa made 

 slower growth and at the same time the hogs were increasing in size, 

 thus requiring more feed. A few times during periods of three or 

 four days of cloiuty weather and also during the last month, when 

 alfalfa was making little growth, the plats were perhaps slightly 

 oyerpastured. As far as could be determined, however, no plat was 

 pastured more heavily than another. 



The corn was fed on the ear during the first period, and shelled 

 corn was fed during the second period. Ear corn was fed on the 

 ground and the shelled corn in a trough. The barley was ground and 

 fed as a thick slop. Grain was fed once a day. in the evening. It is 

 believed that when fed grain but once a day the hogs will make more 



