The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-28

Letters From Men Well Versed
in Agriculture.
Bermuda Grass In Greene County Propagat
ing Profitable buildings and
Stock Discussed.

the revenue brought into cuF county by its sale
Is becoming more extensive and important
This grass was once abused 10y tho farmers
who were wed to the all-cotton theory, but the
stubborn little grass held its own, and forced
its advantage upon the farmers. When our
planters saw they could not run IL away. they
began 10 make the best of bad bargain, and
the result has been that the bad bargain Is re-
suting in their good.
The sun had pleasant talk with Captain
j Nj. Storey on the Subject of Bermuda hay
the other day, Captain Storey has made it a
study for several years past, and Is well posted
as to the money there is in it, and the amount
of labor and expense attached TO saving the
hay.
ut is great grass he began, "and I look
upon it as q God-send. 1t will be n salvation
to this country yet 1t is prolific and easily
managed, and the hay gathered from it is ex-
ceedingly nutritious. / consider the bermuda
hay the
FINEST ON THE MARKET
today and am not alone in that belief IL Is
very munitions more so than any other
known. A livery man told me the other day
that stock liked il better than any hay sold,
This he said, was the only objection to It.
They love 1t too we'll, and will eat more OF il
than any other kind Of food. Other kinds OF
hay which stock do not ike as well are used by
many because the bermuda would prove more
expensive"
Eyes, believe that horses and mules can
subsist entirely on bermuda hay. In fact,
know a gentleman ID this county who has
NEVER FED a GRAIN or CORN
or bundle Of oats to his horses in four or five
years and they are in splendid condition, No
other grass will do this"
Glow is the crop this yearY'
II do not believe it was ever better. had
about sixty odd acres, which lately cut, that
was fully knee high aud in some portions half
tgb iryit nn ct
the same gentleman who weighed the famous
yield Of Dr. Moody several years ago-Captain
j. b. Willis, states that the best OF it was fully
up TO that. His yielded
THIRTEEN Tons TO THE ACRE,
There are numbers Of acres along the banks
of the Oconce this year which are fully equal
TO mine, and the yield will consequently be
very large. The second crop, now growing,
bids also to DO very fine"
"How do you save the hay?"
at is a simple process. 1t is first cut by
moving machine. A machine will cut three
TO four acres a day, requiring ono hand and a
pair of mules. II is then raked into wnrows
and after summing a few hours is dumped into
piles or stocks, or carried to the barn. l have
"A barn for my hay which / built lately. IL is
covered; 2Sx50 feet and l6 feet to the caves. A
door opens in the end, and through this | nm
load. | have railroad track running under
the roof to the extreme end of the barn. A
carriage with graphing hooks, runs on this
DO THE WORK OF TwENY MEN
Tho barn was built Of refuse lumber and the
only work done by a carpenter was TO frame
H. 1t Is best for those who raise hay to house
It, IL pays TO do So"
"Who have bermuda lands on the Oconee ?"
"There are number from Parks Mills to
South Shoals factory. | call to mind now
Reeves q Carlton, ut the old convict farm
Watt Wray the John f. Jackson farm, Vase
McWhorter, j. IL. McWhorter. Colonel j. A.
A. 1a To- m,
John Carmichael. All have fine meadow
lands and save q great quantity of hay. j. H.
Dawson also makes a specially Of hay, has q
magnificent meadow and is well fixed up with
presses, etc, for saving hay. Sid Saffold l..
G.. Pordue aud Holcomb Moore have fine grass
lands ana save large quantities"
The bermuda hay is not confined to the
riyer?''
"By no means. There are fine meadow
lands along Rehand and the other creeks,
and, indeed, it grows right in our gardens in
Greensboro, but of course not to any great eX-
tent in the latter. Among some of those who
save hay from the creek bottoms are James b.
Park, Sr,, and James Il. Park, Jr., Colonel j.
il. Brown, who has@ne Of the finest creek bot
toms in tho county-tho McIIenry place; l..
Wilkins, lately here from the north, and 9TH
ers. They save and market the famous and
nutritious bermuda, Mr. A. l.. Becker, of
Greensboro, on three-quartors OF an aero last
year made $50 clear"
GLOW many acres do you suppose there are
In Greene county from which the hay is being
saved?"
81 hardly know. But | believe il would DO
low estimate to put it Mt
ONE THOUSAND ACRES
This includes the river and creek bottoms
In fact, l think il would so above this
figure"
What Is the yield per acre. as an average 9"
"Well Il Yields from seven TO ton tons have
known land to do this. 1t would be an exceed
inpfN 10 san n tOYe IN,
average per acre, when We consider that two
crops are made
" What is this hay worth, and does il find a
ready markctH"
There Is always constant demand I am
informed that one party has already bargained
for
10000 POUNDS OF TINS YEARS cRor
to be delivered at the depot. The price paid.
! ana informed, is 70 cents per hundred or Si5
per ton. It rarely Soils for less than fifty cents
in season and often goes 10 81, II viii aver
age, think and know, 10 per tom"
This then, is at least 5 so per acre from the
yield what does il cost to gather and curo2"
Mot more than ~ an acre, or about 81 a
ton 60 cut. house and make roady for market. i"
How does this compare with ootton2"
There rs no CompAri on | estimate that
cotton viii not average over n bale 10 two
acres. \ man does not make more than
sl5 profit on a bale Of cotton. This is $3.50
per acre. although great many men do not
make plodt OF - per bale. On the same
amount II land man would make at least
eight tons OF hay, VIII ch would be $500 an ox-
l'ense OF SlO-or clean >,0-a profit Of
TiuKTN-FIvE DOLLARS AN ACRE
Another thing, IL takes n man twelve months
TO make crop of cotton and about live days 10
gather his hay, That is the difference"
"What do you think the crop of hay Of
Greene county will bring this ycar?"
AT the lowest figure put 1000 acres with
four tons per acre, or 1000 toas at $40 per ton
Is forty thousand dollars. Yes. you can safely
put il AZ athgure."
moro could I've raised"
ION, YES there are hundreds Of acres which
could be made 10 WELD large crops il the trees
We're cut OF and the land Put in proper condi-
ton. Our people are gradually waking up to
The importance OF this industry, and ! think
That IN n lew wears every acre Of bermuda land
IN Greene viii ho in condition for the NOW
lag machine. IL is comparatively new in
dustry, and II will tahe sometime to got our
people thoroughly aroused 20 its Importance
One reason why this has not been done is be-
cause those living along the river have some
dlhcniiy in getting the lay to the railroad
station but the river w,ll be opened in time.
An appropriation of Sa,uNO recently paSsed
Wlll put The river iu good shape. There is
smali doubt bat Wha, uo viii get u second APP
preparation. giving us $4,000. the amount eyti-
Ia HN a