56 ^ - - MJfALFA 



to finish for the market. Clover is a great favorite 

 for hog pastures, but those who have tried both clover 

 and i alfalfa find the' alfalfa superior. It stands pas- 

 turing better than clover, and is a better feed. Alfalfa 

 affords an ideal hog pasture, and if judiciously treated 

 and good hogs are raised there is no part of the farm 

 that will give the satisfadlion that the alfalfa pasture 

 does. Pigs weighing thirty to sixty pounds, ten to 

 fifteen head per acre, put on alfalfa pasture in the 

 spring should ordinarily make a gain of one hundred 

 pounds each, but too severe pasturing, will destroy the 

 plants. This number will not keep the pasture all 

 eaten down, and it should be mowed occasionally, 

 about the same as for hay. The growth will be fresh 

 after the mowing, and to keep the pasture fresh cut 

 only part of it at a time. This will tend to give rest, 

 as well as to make better feed. Hogs may be left to 

 subsist exclusively on the green alfalfa, but better 

 results are obtained by feeding with it a sinall quantity 

 of grain. Exceedingly large returns are obtained 

 from the small quantities fed; the alfalfa being green 

 and bulky needs the grain to balance its efledl. The 

 pasturage not only affords a cheap growth, but the 

 bulky charadter expands the digestive tradt of the 

 hog, thus enabling it to utilize a large quantity of 

 feed when the finishing period comes, which is a 

 very important consideration. Excellent results may 

 also be obtained by cutting the alfalfa and feeding 

 it green to the hogs, but pasturing is more satis- 

 fadlory. 



The worth of alfalfa for hogs is not confined to its 

 use when green, as the dry hay is very valuable. The 

 Kansas Experiment Station fed fattening hogs grain 



