Bureau of Ageioultube. 193 



State in the raising of hogs. When a boy can be given 

 an opportunity to be a partner of some one in such an 

 enterprise he acquires interest in feeding and caring for 

 animals which tends to develop the embryo stock breed- 

 er, and it may, perhaps, be one influence which in later 

 years will keep him on the farm. The results of some 

 of this club work directed by Professor Otis Kercher 

 show that the hogs fed and cared for by the boys are 

 usually larger, and, m many cases, the gains produced 

 more economically than those produced by his elders. 



Much is being done by the Experiment Station in 

 the frequent publishing of bulletins noting the results 

 of experiments in hog feeding, which are constantly 

 being carried on. Some of the experiments show that 

 by a proper rotation of forage crops the cost of growing 

 and fatteniug hogs in this State can be greatly re- 

 duced. The farmer must realize, however, that it is 

 necessary to feed some grain in addition to the forage 

 crop to make the grazing profitable. A good rule to 

 follow is to give a pig some grain from the time he is 

 old enough to eat graiu untU he goes to the market, 

 even though he has access to excellent forage crops. 

 Good forage crops just about maintain a young hog, 

 that is, they provide the sufficient nutrients for the pro- 

 duction of blood, digestive juices, heat and energy; thus 

 the additional food in the form of a grain ration is used 

 for the production of bone, muscle and fat. The hog 

 likes grain better than forage crops; therefore, it is 

 best to give him a small amount of grain so that he 

 will remain hungry to do considerable grazing. If the 

 forage crop on which he is running is good, feed him 

 from two to two and one-half per cent, of his weight 

 daily in grain; as the forage crop becomes depleted, feed 

 him three per cent, of his weight in grain daily. Grain 

 thus fed to hogs on forage crops will net from $1.00 to 

 $1.50 per bushel for the amount fed, and most of the 

 fertilizing constituents of the same left on the land. How 

 can grain be disposed of at greater profit? 



To make the industry of raising hogs in Kentucky 

 the most profitable, proper housing and sanitary meas- 

 ures must be adhered to. It must be remembered that 

 the hog is sensitive to both heat and cold, and for that 



agr. — 7 



