PIGS ON GREEN MAIZE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 457, 17 April 1912, Page 3

PIGS ON GREEN MAIZE.

The Americana have a term "hogging down corn" that haa come into genera) use in the United States in recent years. Corn, it may be noted, means maize, that being the common name by which it is known in the States. "Hogging down corn" describes the comparatively new plan of what may be termed folding pigs on a standing'maize crop, which is claimed to be the most economical method of feeding the animals on grain, as it effects a great saving in expense by dispensing with the process of cutting and husking the maize. It is true that the expense of fencing off pieces of the crop has to be considered, and the preparation of the field for a following crop is more troublesome than it ia where the land is cleared at harvest time. But the latter disadvantage is no greater than when, as is common, only the heads of the maize are cut off, the straw being loft for cattle to be turned into. Where a crop is intended tu be "hogged down," rape is often sown in it on the occasion of the last cultivation, and this affords sufficient succulent feed for the pigs. Experiments carried out at the Minnesota Experiment Station led to the conclusion that pigs fed in the field gained in weight nearly one-third more than others fed in pens. Probably they eat more; but the general testimony i 3 that there is no _ waste. It is surprising what an increase there is in the amount of maize there is grown in Canterbury this season, mostly, however, in small plots, and those farmers who go in for pig raising might find that feeding them on the American plan will be worth a trial. The splendid growth of the Red Hogan variety of maize, as compared with others grown in the experimental plots at the Belfast freezing works, shows that this variety is specially sutiable for the Canterbury climate and soil. —'Weekly Press.