BH - MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 
Oklahoma along the river valleys and in northern Oklahoma and 
southern Kansas the farmers are favored with a soil and climate 
that make it possible to produce pork very cheaply. The mildness 
of the climate makes it unnecessary to build as expensive shelters for 
hogs in winter as are required farther north, and the open and short 
winters make it possible to furnish pasture during a greater portion 
of the year, thus lessening the amount of grain which it is necessary 
to feed. The main pasture crops for hogs in this region are alfalfa, 
wheat, oats, and rye, ranking in importance in the order named. 
ALFALFA. 
It is the testimony of 95 per cent of the farmers interviewed in this 
region that there is no better pasture for hogs than alfalfa, where it 
can be grown successfully. Those who have failed with it as pasture 
owe their failure to two causes. First, the alfalfa has been pastured 
before it has become well rooted. Young alfalfa is too tender a plant 
to stand severe treatment except under very favorable circumstances. 
There are a few farmers who have pastured it the same year it was 
sown and the alfalfa has survived, but this was on rich, heavy loam. 
soil, usually creek bottom or river valley land with water not far 
below the surface, and the season was very favorable. Ordinarily 
alfalfa should not be pastured until the second year, and better still 
not until the third year if it 1s desired to keep the field as permanent 
pasture. 
The second cause of failure with alfalfa is heavy pasturing and 
lack of judgment in pasturing in unfavorable seasons. A good many 
farmers have sown a small piece of alfalfa, and then because it has 
grown rapidly and all kinds of stock are fond of it they have turned 
all the stock on the farm on it and have wondered why their alfalfa 
was killed out. Others pasture regardless of whether the ground is 
muddy or whether the season is dry and hot. In either case heavy 
pasturing is very likely to cause the alfalfa to be killed out. 
ALFALFA PASTURES. 
As to the amount of pasturage or the number of hogs alfalfa will 
carry per acre without injury to the crop, the estimates given by 
farmers vary considerably, depending on the kind of soil, the fertil- 
ity of the land, and the size of the hogs pastured. The following, 
however, is a safe average estimate as given by conservative men who 
have had much experience. River valley and creek bottom land well 
set in alfalfa will carry from 15 to 20 head per acre of 50 to 125 
111—1v 
