The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-17
Better Pastures and Meadows For the
Southern Farm.

Better Pastures and MEADOWS ror inc
Southern Farm.
It is hardly probable that any one quail
hed to express an opinion will dispute the
statement that our southern farmers as
class are more negligent Of saving hay and
making pastures than the farmers Of any
other country, perhaps OF the whole
number Of farmers. white and black owner
or tenant how few in any county of this
state. and especially in the southern half of
it, save enough good hay to carry
their stock, with liberal feeding,
through even the first spring
month! How few bestow any care on the
seeding Of new pasture land or renovatiug
the odd 1t is probably no exaggeration to
say that for one farmer who includes @ pro-
portionate regard for the saving of hay and
maintenance of pasture as a positive feat
ure of his farm policy there are dozen who
give little or no consideration to either be-
yond the haphazard practice of relying
upon the spontaneous growth usually crab
grass of the cornfeld for the matter of
hay, and for pasturage to the cocklebur in
tested hooks OF Bermuda or the needy Stub
BILE Of the small grain fields.
Pasturage of this nature is In season
only during the summer and autumn
months, and no provision is made for winter
and spring pasture. OF course X farmer
has no stock outside Of his plow stock he has
but little need for pasture, but must give
greater attention to the cultivation of hay.
IL Is true that there are thousands Of small
farmers lone to three horse), white and
black, who are SO circumstanced, and the
great majority of these are tenants, and it
is not TO be expected that they will give
that attention to permanent pasture, or to
the saving of large quantities of forage that
well established farmer would, for the
tenant knoweth not who will reap the fruit
OF his work when he resorts to any perma-
uent Improvement. Southern agriculture
labors under the serious obstacle to rapid
or even ordinarily legitimate advance
ment. The cultivation Of the lands
is too much in the hands of tenant farmers,
who. as matter of fact, and as q necessity
under the system prevalent with US, make a
speciality almost of the same crop-cotton,
and whose stock in trade is almost ex-
clusively a mule, or steer, nothing else, not
even a mich COW. If this large class would
invariably save an allowance Of hay for
their work stock marked improvement in
their condition would be soon observed
Hundreds of them every winter or spring
lose their stock in trade = their
mule - from some disorder, usually
collie and Inflammation of the bowels
brought on from the lack of the essential
long forage. As the outgrowth of twenty
years observation, do not hesitate in maxi
ing the statement that an exclusive diet of
western shelIed oorns for several weeks at q
time, with the absence of long forage, an
iniudicious watering resulting on the
sudden pressure of spring blowing, has
caused the loss OF many mules and horses in
the south in the past twenty years that
would not have occurred had judicious
and more natural feed OF long forage been
tie main reliance Of the farmer. The small
farmer, after exhausting his supply (which
invariably gives out a month or more, prob
ably several months, before he calculated it
would, is naturally disposed to go slow in
n investing little in the western article that
n his merchant keeps on hand for emergencies
and holds at the very Inviting figures Of ST.
10 - rs per 100 cash, or 81 40 on time. His
nelghbor cannot supply him with any. They
zee the bottom OF their NOW about tae same
time. He discusses the matter, groaus pro-
craStlna es, concludes be will worry along
until some better chance to buy is presented.
Some morning three or four weeks later on
TO his horror finds mule dead in stable
Colo In night. Stomach opened; found to
contain something less than a cord of pine
sphnterS or woody matter that had been
gnaWed from bis trough or feed box.
hulned, and simply from the lack
OF little fodder to keep the
stomach of his stock in trade in
healthy condition. Alas! alas! this poor
and untutored small farmer-and there are
80 many thousands Of them here and there
and altogether-how is he to be reacheds
When aud where and how is the loan of his
ear to be secured, and few kindly words of
ADVICE poured into it in respect to this very
important matters He cannot read. Writ
n ten words of advice and encouragement
cannot reach him. The experience Of one
year seems to teach him nothing for
another Is there no trick of
legerdemaln by which his eyes
may be opened TO the fact. that his little
farm cannot be made scene of comfort
and happiness until he learns to become a
Iee farmer, and learns one of the most i'm
portant lessons in the establishment Of a
9aPpy and permanent farm house, and that
he providing OF an abundance Of hay or
,ong forage for the dumb beasts that serve
nun. OF course, this neglect Of the forage
oIop Is by no means confined to the poor
ala uneducated small farmer. His more
aIeiligent and more fortunate neighbor sets
nn; 1t must be admitted, very bad ex
#Hmpe, as a rule.
Oold Frames" in Southern Gardens.