﻿8 BULLETIN 1143, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



BARLEY. 



The barley plats were somewhat affected by the hailstorm but 

 recovered more completely than did the peas. 



The lot of hogs from the peas weighed 915 pounds when placed on 

 the barley plat on August 8. The grain was well filled at this time, 

 but the crop was not nearly as mature as in 1916. That it was more 

 palatable tlian during the previous year was evidenced by the way 

 the animals consumed the entire plants, rather than limiting them- 

 selves to the grain. There were not enough pigs to harvest the whole 

 acre while it was in this stage, so the forage was rather well matured 

 by the end of the season. Though the hogs were kept on the plat 

 until all the grain was consumed, it was apparent tnat they were 

 getting little benefit from the matured barley and they were removed 

 on August 22. 



A total gain of 60 pounds was made during the 14-day pasture 

 period. This was an average daily gain of 0.71 of a pouna per pig. 



The check plat jaelded 16.2 bushels of mature grain per acre. 

 Using this yield as an estimate of the grain consumed it appears that 

 12.95 pounds of barley were required for 1 pound increase in weight. 



Rye, peas, and barley pastures returned a combined total of 497 

 pounds gain in weight for six pigs in a period of 103 days. A total 

 of 1,268 pounds of corn was fed as a supplement to the rye and pea 

 pasturage. As was the case in 1916, the animals jeere not in a 

 finished condition at the end of this season but had made a good 

 growth and fattened readily in the dry lot. 



CORN. 



Six spring pigs, totaling 442 pounds, were placed on the acre of 

 corn on September 28. The corn was well ripened and was of a 

 better quality than in 1916, though the yield was somewhat less. It 

 required 17 days to hog-off the corn, and the animals were removed 

 on October 15. During this period the total increase in the weight 

 of the lot was 103 pounds, or 1.01 pounds per day for each pig. 



The acre check plat yielded 9.6 bushels of corn of good quality. 

 Using this yield as a basis of calculation the gains were made at the 

 rate of 5.22 pounds of corn per pound of gain. The corn crop was 

 not large enough to finish the animals to a marketable size and 

 condition. 



ALFALFA AND BROME-GRASS. 



The alfalfa and brome-grass crops were seeded in 1916 in 1-acre 

 plats. One plat of each was planted in rows 2 feet apart and one 

 with rows 6 inches apart. In this bulletin the first is referred to as 

 the row plat and the second as the broadcast plat. Good stands 

 were obtained, and excellent pasturage was available in the spring of 

 1917. A sufficient number of fall pigs was not available for grazing off 

 these plats efficiently, but five pigs having a total weight of 438 pounds 

 were given access to the 2 acres of alfalfa on May 16. On the same 

 date five similar pigs, totaling 427 pounds, were placed on the 2 acres 

 of brome-grass. A 2 per cent ration of corn was fed each lot daily. 



Both lots were carried on their respective pastures for a period of 

 56 days, being removed on July 11. The forage on each plat having 

 made more growth during this period than the small number of pigs 

 could consume, all plats except the brome-grass in rows were mowed. 

 The 2 acres of alfalfa yielded 1,632 pounds of fair quality hay. 

 The acre of broadcast brome-grass appeared to be more unpalatable 



