Fall and Winter Pasturage.

What do you advise for planting in the fall for winter pasture in the
Sacramento valley?  Are field peas suitable?

The common California field pea, called Niles pea, the Canadian pea, the common vetch (which is sometimes called the Oregon vetch because the seed is largely grown in that State) are all suitable for fall planting and winter growth because they are not injured by ordinary valley frosts.  Aside from legumes, you can get winter feed from fall-sown rye, Essex rape or kale.

Summer Pasture for Hogs.

I want to pasture hogs in the San Joaquin valley this spring and summer.  Have water for irrigation, but will not have time to get alfalfa started sufficient to pasture.

Sorghum can be planted with pumpkins or some root crop between the rows.  The root crop or the pumpkins could be used in the later summer, while the sorghums could come between the natural grasses of the early spring and the root crops.  A strictly pasturage scheme is to sow wheat or barley and turn the hogs on this, so that they will eat within certain prescribed limits.  In order to do this, the field needs a shifting fence, so that the hogs can be driven from one section to another — never letting the hogs eat too closely, as they will kill off the stand.

Size of a Silo.

I am planning to build a silo 8 feet high and 10 feet across.  Will ensilage (corn, oats) keep well in a silo of those dimensions?

The silo you are intending to build is too shallow, and would hold only a very small amount of silage.  There would be several inches loss of silage before you could start feeding, and you would have to feed at least two and probably three inches off per day in order to keep the food from spoiling.  Sixty inches of silage would thus only last about twenty days.  Also, the deeper a silo is, the tighter the ensilage is packed and the more will be contained in a cubic foot.  The following table will give suggestions as to dimensions: 

Diameter.    Height.    Capacity.      Diameter.    Height.     Capacity.
10 feet     25 feet    36 tons      14 feet     34 feet    115 tons
10  "       28  "      42  "        15  "       34  "      131   "
11  "       29  "      60  "        16  "       35  "      158   "
12  "       32  "      73  "        20  "       35  "      258   "
13  "       33  "      83  "

A cow can consume four tons of silage in 180 days and more or less as you care to feed, so by figuring out how long you will probably feed, you can see the size of silo to build at once.

Soiling Crops in California.

What are the dates for planting crops to be used for soiling in your
State?