188 RESULTS OP EXPERIMENTS IN SWINE FEEDING 



scarcely 200 pounds of pork, which is only one-quarter as 

 much pork as was obtained at Kansas from a ton of alfalfa 

 hay. It is well to remember, however, that alfalfa hay varies 

 very much in quality. Well-cured, fine-stemmed, leafy hay 

 would be best for hog feeding, and coarse-stemmed hay that 

 had been damaged more or less by the weather might have 

 very little value for this purpose. Such a discrepancy as that 

 noted between the Kansas and Wyoming results might easily 

 be accounted for on the basis of different qualities of hay, and 

 in the meantime we may regard the Kansas results as repre- 

 senting the maximum returns from alfalfa. It is also worthy 

 of note that in one Kansas experiment the amount of pork 

 produced by a ton of alfalfa hay was only 235 pounds, an 

 amount only slightly greater than that obtained at Wyoming, 

 so that it would be safer to regard the 800 pounds of pork from 

 a ton of alfalfa hay as a possibility, rather than as something 

 which can be generally depended upon. 



The Wyoming Station also tried feeding young pigs, 

 weighing from 60 to 70 pounds, a ration of 1/3 com meal or 

 wheat meal, and % alfalfa hay, but the pigs lost weight, and 

 one died. On the other hand, mature sows were successfully 

 maintained on a ration of alfalfa hay and turnips without 

 other feed, indicating that alfalfa hay is best suited to pigs 

 that are fairly well grown. 



Rape. — Rape is a crop which is highly recommended 

 wherever it can be grown successfully. For hog pasture it is 

 best sown in drills about 28 inches apart at the rate of three 

 pounds of seed per acre. It may also be sown broadcast. In 

 most localities, it is safer not to sow until after the first of 

 June. If there is enough moisture in the &oil to germinate 

 the seed, it is generally ready for pasture in about six weeks. 



Rape Compared with Alfalfa. — The Kansas Experiment 



