Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-01-19
STOCK RAISING in The SOUTH.
Circular No. s. Compiled by ]. F.
Merry, Asst Gen. Passenger
Agent, Dubuque, Iowa.

Merry, Asst Gen. Passenger
Agent, Dubuque, Iowa.
The Hon. James Wilson, Secretary
OF Agriculture-in a recent article in
The Southern Planter, published at
Richmond, Virginia,-gave expression
to the following statement concerning
stock raising In the South: "What the
South needs is the introduction of
more domestic animals on every
southern farm" And he further re-
marks that after years of observation
and study of animal industry in tine
South, there are many domestic ami
mails that can be raised quite as we'll
In that particular section of the coun-
try rs anywhere else. He was careful
to emphasize the fact that at the
present time, throughout the world,
there is an unprecedented demand for
just such horses as only southern peo-
pie know how to produce and train.
He also urged that the South can, and
should, supply early spring lambs for
northern markets; that dairying
ought to become one of the leading
farm industries of the South; that the
old-time smoke house, found on every
southern plantation before the war,
and in which was smoked the finest
hams that ever graced a breakfast
table, ought to be restored; and that
the fine bacon hog, for which some
portions of the South have become
noted, ought to be more extensively
raised in every state south of the
Ohio river.
Secretary Wilson is a man of large
experience and wide observation. He
would never have made these state
mentS did he not believe and know
that the conditions were favorable for
successfully carrying them out. The
departments Of animal industry con-
nected with the Agricultural Colleges
of Kentucky, West Tennessee, Missis-
sippi, and Louisiana, are giving special
attention to the growing of grasses
and forage corps, and are experiment.
ing with every variety known to a
semi-tropical country, with a view to
furnishing reliable information that
will be of incalculable benefit to every
stock-raiser.
| Northern farmers understand that
the value Of stock-raising can not be
measured alone by the netprofits from
the sale Of stock. There are other
direct benefits that are not applicable
to any other farm industry. Wer refer
more particularly to the matter OF
fertilization. The farm on which
cotton or wheat is grown for term OF
years becomes poor and non-produc-
tive. In the southern states may yet
be found a good deal of worn out cotton
land that can only be resuscitated by
stocking the farm with cattle. Our
northern readers will, therefore, keep
IN mind that many of the low priced
lands in the South may become valu.
able through the Introduction OF
domestic animals tnat will consume
thesnative grass and the great variety
and abundance of forage so cheaply
and so quickly grown on these old and
apparently worthless plantations.
The South may never be able to
compete with some Of the natural
grazing states OF the West, but the
time is not far distant when every
southern farmer will raise his owr
horses, mules, cows, and hogs, and will
thus reduce to the minimum the ex
pense of maintaining southern farm
Question No. l. Is Stock FEEDING IN
the South Practacablcs
Until quite recently no attempt has
been made to feed cattle in the foul
southern states under discussion (that
Is, with view to supplying northern
n arkets with southern beef,) except
perhaps, in few instances in the
state OF Kentucky, where the condi
lions are all favorable; and in Missis
sippi, where few large herds have
been shipped in from Texas and fat,
tened on the by-products of cotton
seed, such as cotton=seed meal, OF
cake, and cotton-seed hulls.
During the month of July Prof
Andrew M. Soule, vice-director Of the
Tennessee Agricultural College, com
piled bulletin entitled: "Feedine
Native Steers" in which the subjec,
is thoroughly handled, and the results
given of actual experiments made al
that station. We can not publish ir
a brief circular even synopsis of the
statements made by Prof. Soule, but
we quote few lines OF what be says
in general way concerning the rails
ing of beef cattle in Tennessee:
HOur farmers spend about 81 800, 900
annually for fertilizers. There are In
round numbers 1000, 900 head of cattle
of all classes In the state. The drop
pings from single beast, according t.
the results obtained at a number Of
experiment stations, are worth about
$1,000 a year, so that an appalling
waste is going on when one considers
how Insignificant an amount of stable
manure is being utilized on our farms
II only one-afth of the value of the
d oppings of the cattle held in the
state was utilized as it should be, i,
would wipe out the fertilizer bills now
incurred by our farmers twice over