The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1902-08-15
>,x r.NM GAZETTE: StarkvlIe, M S. August b. IS -

ter III nome production luS hS"I
bv West Indian and Mexican de-
mands will call for any surplus
that may be produced.
"In all regions the marked i'm
prove cf the soil and the in
creased Yields of cultivated crops
which always follow the keeping
of dairy stock are often so great
as to give ar indirect profit near
" or quite as much as that derl
we'd directly from the cows. ln
the South, where the summers
are long and decay l. rapid, tht
hunus. or the organic matter -
necessary in every cultivated
soil, disappears quickly, AID =
sol, although it may be rich in
all the chemical elements of plant
food, if kept in constant cultiva-
ton. soon assumes an untavor-
able mechanical condition, and
becomes less easily cultivated.
less productive and more liable
to injury from washing than arc
fields which are grazed or those
where the depletion caused BY
the growing OF ordinary crops is
made good by the application of
manures. Chemical fertilizers
are of inestimable value. when
rig htly used, but in order to be
most effective they must be used
on soils which are already well
supplied with humus. In nearly
all the Southern States the pro-
ductiveness of the soil can be in
creased more by an increase of
humus than by the use of chem
ical fertilizers alone.
"The only practical methods
of increasing the humus are the
p'owiug under OF green crops
and the application of manures.
The former is effective, but ex-
pensive, while the latter is still
more effective and far less expen-
sive. In region where humus
is so greatly needed and where it
disappears so rapidly every cow
on the farm will yearly add more
to the productiveness of the
fields than could be gained by the
use of a ton of chemicals, the
value of which should therefore
be added to the cash returns
from her milk and butter. Cows
are cheaper than chemicals, and
no soil can be kept permanently
productive IN any other way at
so little cost as by the feeding of
animals.
''ln a region where choice feed
is so easily grown, where build
ings are so inexpensive, where
the local markets are so good.
where the keeping of stock is so
necessary to the continued fer.
fifty of the soil, and where there
are no special obstacles to the
work, dairying can be made prof.
liable as a business, while the
sales OF milk or butter from even
a few cows may give a welcome
addition to the income from any
farm.
I'm practice nearly every large
dairy grows from small begin
ming in connection with some
other line of farm work. Hence,
The location is not specially Sc
lected for the purpose. But
when a dairy is to be started
from the foundation-land to be
purchased and buildings erected,
the location should be carefully
considered. The most impor-
tant features of the location are
an abundant supply of water,
good drainage, a soil which will
produce good crops of grain and
forage, and convenience to mar
ket.
IAN abundance Of good water
is an absolute necessity for the
welfare of the cows as we'll as for
the convenience of the owner.
Good springs or constantly flow
ing streams are the best. If
these cannot he fOund tho loc,