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



RESULTS IN 1918. 



RYE. 



On May 7, 1918, 10 pure-bred Duroc-Jersey fall pigs, having a 

 combined weight of 964 pounds, were turned on the rye pasture. 

 The forage averaged about 6 inches in height on this date, and it was 

 in good condition for grazing. June 5 found the animals confining 

 their pasturing to the more closely grazed areas, while tye on the 

 neglected areas grew tall and coarse. This was cut with a mower as 

 it was beginning to head out. Though some new growth was induced 

 from the clipped plants, the season was such that this growth was 

 smaller than m former years, and the animals had little difficulty in 

 keeping the whole acre pastured close. The hogs were removed 

 from the plat on June 25. The total gain made during the 49-day 

 period was 227 pounds, or an average daily increase of 0.46 of a 

 pound per hog. The corn fed was 1,078 pounds, or 4.75 pounds of 

 corn for each pound of gain in hog weight. 



The check plat of rye made 10.1 bushels per acre. 



PEAS. 



The hogs from the rye plat were moved to the plat of peas on June 

 25. On this date a light hailstorm did some damage to the peas by 

 stripping the young pods from the vines. The total weight of the 

 animals when the pea pasturing was started was 1,191 pounds. As 

 the forage was green and succulent, the corn ration was continued! 

 At the end of a 14-day period the peas had been entirely cleaned up, 

 and the hogs were placed on the acre of barley. 



A gain of 229 pounds was made by the 10 pigs on peas. This is 

 at the rate of 1.64 pounds per day for each pig. The total corn fed 

 was 364 pounds, or a ratio of 1.59 pounds oi corn for each pound of 

 gain. 



Peas which were harvested and thrashed yielded 5.6 bushels for the 

 acre. It was estimated that about 50 per cent of the grain from this 

 plat was lost because of the hailstorm. 



A greater acreage of peas could have been used to advantage in 

 1918, as in former years. 



BARLEY. 



The barley crop had begun to dry up when it was stocked by the 

 10 pigs from the pea plat on July 9. The lot at this time weighed 

 1,420 pounds. At the end of the first 14-day period it was obvious 

 that the pigs would not make satisfactory gains on the crop, and they 

 were removed. In addition to the grain being of poor quality, 

 the crop had become badly mixed with bearded varieties of barley 

 which the pigs refused to eat. 



The maturity of the barley made it seem advisable to supply a 

 roughage ration with the pasturage, so alfalfa hay was fed in racks. 

 A total of 52 pounds of hay was consumed during the 14 days. 

 When the pigs were removed from the barley on July 23 they weighed 

 1,420 pounds, which was the same as their initial weight on this 

 plat. 



The check plat of barley made 3 bushels per acre of poor-quality 

 grain. 



The continuous pasture of rye, peas, and barley made a total gain 

 of 456 pounds. A total of 1,442 pounds of corn was fed while the 

 animals were on the rye and pea pastures. 



