FORAGE CROPS FOR HOGS IN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. 43 
As an example of the value of English bluegrass, the experience of 
one farmer in northern Oklahoma may be cited. He uses only 
English bluegrass and wild grass as pasture. On 12 acres of the 
bluegrass sown the fall before, he pastured 150 head of stock hogs 
all the spring until about the middle of May. The hogs were then 
taken off and the grass allowed to go to seed. This farmer states that 
he harvested a crop of seed larger than the ordinary crop. 
Bermuda grass is not much used as a pasture for hogs, but should 
be grown more in regions to which it is adapted. It is relatively 
rich in protein, is not easily killed out by pasturing, and withstands 
drought well. It is often used as a soil binder and might well be 
used for hog pasture.. Many hilly farms that are now washing 
badly could be put in Bermuda grass and pastured to stock, thus 
saving the land and building up the soil. Some farmers are begin- 
ning to make use of this grass and are fencing it for hog pasture. 
It withstands heavy grazing, rooting, and trampling. 
Some farmers have fenced in the prairie grass and are now grazing 
their hogs on it. While it does not have a very high feeding value, 
hogs will do very well on it with grain. One man claims that prairie 
grass will make hogs hold their own at the rate of 6 head per acre. 
ROOT CROPS. 
The root crops most used in this territory are potatoes, artichokes, 
peanuts, and sugar beets. 
Artichokes are a very good root crop to use for hogs. They can be 
planted in the spring the same way as potatoes and cultivated the 
same. In the fall the hogs can be turned in to harvest them. They 
thus furnish a good late fall and winter food, especially for brood 
sows and shoats. One farmer claims that 1 acre will keep from 20 to 
30 head in fine condition from October till spring. Their use reduces 
considerably the amount of corn that must be fed. None of the tubers 
need be dug except for seed; the hogs will dig the rest. Early in the 
fall hogs do not eat artichokes readily. In winter and spring they eat 
them greedily. | 
Artichokes have a tendency to become a pest on cultivated land, or 
if planted continuously on the same land they become diseased. They 
may be grown very successfully, however, in a pasture crop rotation 
for hogs. As the acreage needed is not large, they can be planted on a 
part of a field in March or April and the rest of the field sown to rape. 
In August the part sown to rape can be reseeded to rape for fall pas- 
ture. This field can be sown to oats the next spring after rape, and 
barley sown after the artichokes. The crop may be pastured continu- 
ously if needed, or later mowed for hay. In August, after this crop is 
111—1v 
