Choosing a Forage Crop 157 



In four of the experiments out of the six here sum- 

 marized, the pigs on clover made the faster gains, while 

 in the other two the rape-fed pigs gained faster. In 

 each of the experiments, on the other hand, the pigs on 

 rape required less concentrated feed to produce a unit 

 of gain than did those on clover. Although rape is not 

 a legume and does not improve the soil in nitrogen-content, 

 it is richer than clover in protein. In some of these 

 experiments a small cutting of hay was taken from the 

 clover lots. The carrying capacity of these crops appears 

 to be about the same, both being very large when grown 

 on rich soil and good stands are obtained. 



At the Missouri Experiment Station,^ Mumford and 

 Weaver, in tests made of clover in 1908 and 1910, pastured 

 an average of eleven pigs to the acre for 133 days. The 

 pigs were fed straight corn in quantities to secure a uniform 

 rate of gain of | pound daily. With this method of feed- 

 ing, 100 pounds of gain were secured from an average of 

 only 295 pounds of com. 



OTHER CLOVERS 



Because of its good yielding powers and fine quality 

 of stems, alsike clover is probably the equal of medium 

 red clover as a forage crop. The fact that it does well on 

 acid soils too wet for ordinary clover is causing it to be 

 more generally grown in the corn-belt. Mammoth 

 clover is not as highly regarded, as a rule, as medium 

 red, chiefly because of the rank coarse quality as a forage. 

 It is a heavy yielder, however, and does well on thin sandy 

 soil. White clover is a persistent-growing perennial 

 which greatly adds to the value of permanent pastures 



1 Bull. 110. 



