The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-09-09

curing or permanent pasture is the
problem that claims his thoughts by
day and directs his dreams by night.
Thousands of acres of good land in the
South are not available for pasture for
many months each year, as no rotation
of grasses has been found that can be
successfully applied to these lands. TO
man coming South from the Central
States these fields are like starvation
staring him in the face. Many grasses
flourish throughout Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi and the Carolinas, such as
Bermuda, orchard grass, crab grass,
Johnson grass, oatgrass, but no salts
factory combination of these has ever
been found to make permanent pas
ture. | am willing to admit that the
subject has not been as scientifically
studied as it should be, and advantage
has not been taken of valuable grasses
like orchard grass herds grass and
the clovers, except in case Of a few
progressive farmers here and there.
On recent visit to Wilkes County,
Georgia. 1 saw sight that did q Vir-
ginian good all over. 1t was field OF
ored lands in Virginia saw a finer
stand of clover. and | never saw red
clover as beautiful as this. 1t was
dense, uniform, healthy looking and
very vigorous i'll growth. | never saw
this clover before. l at once investi-
gated it. 1t was a low clover, growing
much like white clover, with handsome
leaves marked with two black spots.
1t had small yellow bloom. I asked
if it had tubercles on the roots. The
man had never heard of these things.
l dug up a bunch and found the tuber
cleS punched thickly just below the
crown along the upper roots. l asked
if this clover did not make the land
rich. was told that fields that grew
this clover for a few years produced
heavily. | did not wonder. 1t is green
by January 1 here in Georgia and
grows luXuriantly, enriching the soil all
the while till about June /. then it lit
orally dries up and there is no more of
its beauty to be seen until the next
January. 1t is an annual and the
most certain self-seeder of which l ever
heard. 1t is easily transferred from
one field to another by simply raking
over the ground after the plants have
dried and getting together the dried
heads and some of the soil containing
seed. brought some of the tubercles
home with me and am conducting ex
periments with them, which | hope to
report later
D AS to the value of the clover for pas
fnTe, I found that the hogs were just
UP to their eyes in it, and were looking
sleek and nice. The only really nice
sheep l have seen in Georgia that have
been in the State for a number Of years
were a bunch of Dorsets l found graz
ing in this clover field. They looked
healthy and good. Their skins were as
pink as cherries. Cows seemed to eat
it. but not so we'll as the sheep and
hogs. Horses do not like it at all. 1t
is of no value for hay.
But now to the suggestion that came
TO me. On an adjoining farm to this
found there another beautiful field OF
the clover. 1t seems to grow every
where down there. In walking through
this field 1 found among the clover Ber-
muda grass. | asked if it interfered
with Bermuda. l was told that AFTER
June the Bermuda had entire posses
sion. The life OF Bermuda pasture III
this section of the South is from May
Is to the first heavy frosts, about De-
cpmber Is. Bermuda grass must al
ways be disappointment to the stock
man. because it is dead all winter ana
will not make pasture before the mld-
die of May. Give Bermuda grass sun,
rich land and a fair chance and 1t VIII
certainly thrive in the South, though II
may be necessary to get onto us ways
a little. why have we not great OPP
portunity in this combination OF purr
clover and Bermuda grass? The burr
clover takes possession in January ana
fiourishes amid Bermuda roots, enrich
ing the soil all the while. AS 1t begins
TO die away in May the Bermuda takes
possession and holds it till December
IS. This is the most perfect fit have
ever known. Only about three weeks
without green grass. There is hope
vet for the stockmen of the Soulful.
b Arbuckle, Dekalb County, Georgia,
in the Breeders Gazette.
II 'ne :.
Fertility on a Cotton Farm.