58 ALFALFA 



and dry alfalfa hay just thrown in the pen in forksful 

 as compared with grain alone, and secured 868 pounds 

 of pork per ton of alfalfa hay. _ The hogs fed grain 

 and alfalfa hay made a gain in nine weeks of 90.9 

 pounds per head, and the hogs fed grain alone for the 

 same time gained 52.4 pounds per head. A bushel of 

 grain and 7.83 pounds of alfalfa hay produced 10.88 

 pounds of gain, while a bushel of grain alone produced 

 only 7.48 pounds of gain. Pigs at the experiment 

 station pastured through the summer on alfalfa, after 

 dedudling the probable gain due to a small allowance 

 of corn, made a gain of 776 pounds of pork for each 

 acre of pasture. These fadls indicate that the most 

 profitable produdlion of pork is possible only when 

 alfalfa is used as a part of the swine ration. It is not 

 impossible that in the near future the hog that eats 

 alfalfa will regulate the price of pork. 



Alfalfa may be pastured lightly with hogs the 

 second year after sowing, but it is best to wait until 

 the third year. Under no consideration is it safe to 

 the alfalfa to pasture it the first' year. After the 

 plants have obtained root-hold, as they will by the 

 third year, the hogs cannot pull them up, and if given 

 plenty of range and a little grain they will not root to 

 any extent. The alfalfa should be disked and harrowed 

 at least every spring to keep the field smooth. If 

 grass is troublesome, disking any time during the 

 summer will be beneficial. 



Alfalfa hay for hogs should be specially cut and 

 cured for this purpose. The hay should contain as 

 large proportion of leaves and as small stems as pos- 

 sible, as hogs do not eat the coarser parts. The last 

 cutting is generally the best for hogs, and should be 



