FARMING WORLD

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21212, 7 September 1940, Page 15

FARMING WORLD

ABOUT ROOT CROPS PROVIDING FOR PIGS ADVICE TO PRODUCERS Early ploughing and good cultivation are the secrets of good cropping, | so plough now, advises a circular being issued to Waikato pig producers bv the Waikato District Pig Council. Only a relatively small number of dairy farmers are equipped to grow barley, it says, but there is a wide range of crops that can be grown and harvested successfully on the average dairy farm. The circular points out that roots are essential for wintering pigs and that every farmer should have at least one acre of roots for every 4—5 cows. The following advice on various crops is given in the circular:— ! Mangolds.—Feed value, 101 b equal lib barley. Mature in the late autumn. Mangolds must be ripened for a month before feeding. A safe crop to grow, and with reasonable care 50-60 ton an acre can be expected. Mangolds are particularly useful for wintering pigs, but meatmeal, at the rate of at least Alb per pig per da} r , must also be fed if no separate milk is available. ! Sugar-beet.—A comparatively new crop for feeding pigs, sugar-beet has 1 twice the feeding value of mangolds, but like the latter, requires a meatmeal supplement. As easy to grow as mangolds, but slightly more difficult to harvest owing to a deeper rooting. A good average crop would I be 20-30 tons an acre. In addi- ; tion to being a good wintering food, sugar-beet promises, in conjunction with skim milk, to be useful for early spring fattening of store pigs. This . crop is especially recommended. Carrots and Swedes I Carrots.—Feeding value, 81b equal lib barley. Crops of 20-25 tons can jbe grown. Useful tonic for sty pigs. An earlier maturing crop ; than mangolds or sugar-beet, carrots are useful as a supplement for fattening pigs in April and May. Guerande is the least difficult variety to harvest. Not a suitable crop for i heavy soil. With meatmeal, cari rots are first-class for wintering pigs, j Swedes.—Slightly better feeding j value than mangolds, (but in this disi trict they do not crop so heavily and ! are more subject to disease and insect pests. Requires meatmeal or ; milk supplement.

| Pumpkins. Feeding value api proximates that of swedes. If good crops can be grown they are excellent for wintering pigs. Better [ suited to the eastern and northern ! districts of the North Island, where | 40-50-ton crops can be grown. Also j requires meatmeal supplement, j Potatoes.—Food value, 41b equal lib barley. An 8-ton crop of potatoes has a total food value twice that of a 40-bushel crop of barley. Potatoes are available for feeding from March onwards, and so they can be utilised most successfully in coni junction with the declining milk supplies and a little barley, say lib a day, for the autumn fattening of pigs. Not more than 81b of potatoes should Ibe fed daily to fattening pigs. Poi tatoes must be cooked before feed- , ing.

j Peas.—Feeding value approximates | that of barley. An excellent fatj tening food, particularly with whey, and a crop that can be grown suc- ! cessfully on rich dairying land which is not deficient in lime. Available ! from February onwards, the peas ! can be fed on the vine. A particularly valuable crop for summer weaners and autumn fattening. Artichokes. —A prolific cropper, easy to grow, but subject to frost and blight. Must be fed in conjunction with meatmeal. j A small area of roots, well cared j for, is a better proposition than a ' large area where weeds have taken charge.