ALFALFA FOR SWINE. 



There is rotation in farm practices as well 

 as in crops. Take the hog for example. Origi- 

 nally it was a forest-dwelling animal, consuming 

 herbage of all sorts, grasses, roots, whatever it could 

 get, and mainly coarse herbage. Later it was taken 

 by man and shut up in pens or yards and fed grain. 

 Under such treatment all sorts of difficulties devel- 

 oped, hogs became subject to disease, lost their pro- 

 lificacy, became unnatural mothers, eating their 

 offspring. Thus the hog fell into disrepute, got a 

 reputation for unhealthfulness and natural bad 

 habits. Now, thanks to alfalfa, the hog is resuming 

 its rightful place as a grazing animal, is grown large- 

 ly in the fields in the winter-time, eats coarse stuff, 

 which it ought to do, consumes alfalfa hay. The re- 

 sult is that in thousands of herds cholera has been 

 banished, the hogs have become resistant because of 

 their feed and healthful way of living, litters are 

 larger, the sows do not eat their pigs and the cost 

 of making pork has been reduced one-half. All this 

 thanks to alfalfa feeding and alfalfa grazing. 



The Hog a Grazing Animal. — The truth is the hog 

 is by nature a grazing animal. While not a ruminant 

 like the oow and sheep yet it has capacity to take care 

 of a good deal of coarse herbage and is better for 

 having it. There must be a certain amount of bulk in 

 its food to distend the stomach and intestines in or- 



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