Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-10

them OF ticks.
There is no grass that will give as much
pasture and stand as hard usage adapted
70 the south, with which 1 am familiar.
as bermuda, and though ii may take more
time and trouble 10 obtain a perfect stand
OF il. IL is the best and cheapest invest
ment in the long run one can make who
desires TO develop the live stock business.
Next to blue grass for low, moist bot
tom lands, there is probably nothing bet
ter than red top. Meadow fescue does
very well in such situations, but we do
not believe IL has as wide utility Or
adaptability for growth as the red top.
Red top develops a stoloniferous root on
moist lands, which give II a great feed
ing power, considerable droughth resist
ance, and the ability to Withstand a good
deal OF tramping. On low, sandy moist
soil. IL takes a thick. dense turf, and is
one OF our most valuable pasture grasses.
This grass may be seeded either with or
without a nurse crop. It is probably bet
ter, however, 10 SOW II alone. Use a.
least one bushel OF seed per acre and SOW
about the first Of October. Where re-
cleaned seed is used, half that amount
will answer. Animals should not be al
lowed on the land during the fall and
winter. and care should be taken the first
year not to allow them TO Craze II too
closely; after II becomes well established
once, II will Withstand heavy pasturage.
II is a good idea to experiment
with alfalfa and red clover, and
gumes as possible. We have found
the hairy vetch a most useful COW
er crop and valuable hay producer and
soil renovator. We think Il will give
more general satisfaction probably in
many localities in the south than crimson
clover, though crimson clover does very
well with us here. Vetch will probably
do better on land in poorer physical con-
dtion than crimson clover, which Is a
point not to be overlooked by many who
are attempting to build up WORKOUT
soils.
I think your idea OF starting a herd OF
cattle is along the right lines. Pick up
a lot OF good heifers showing as much
blood and quality as possible and pur-
chase a good sire. We judge your ex-
pectation Is to buy the whole outfit. This
will. OF course. enable you TO make a
quicker start. We think that while the
Red Poll and Aberdeen Angus will do
well in your locality, probably for your
purposes there is nothing better than the
Hereford. II is. Of course. desirable to
have these animals come in in November
or December IL they are coming from
north Of the quarantine line. but II would
be better to buy them south OF the quar-
antine line IL you can. The first thing
you should undertake TO do Is 10 rid your
pastures OF the cattle tick. II cattle
have not pastured on the land you intend
TO use for this purpose for a year or
more. IL Is free of ticks now. In order to
protect IL you would have to fence II I'D.
In order TO free il of ticks keep the cattle
off the land until next spring. Then IL
you turn the animals in brought from
north OF the quarantine line and they
do not break out or become infested
with ticks from other sources. you will
enjoy Immunity from the pest. We would
suggest that You write 10 the United
States department Of agriculture, Wash
ington, D. C., and secure a bulletin on the
cattle tick. which will give you full d.
rections as to how to proceed to rid your
self at once OF this pest. We would sug-
/ gest that you write to Mr. c. r. Thomas,
secretary OF the American Hereford
Breeders association, Kansas City, Mo,
for names OF breeders OF these cattle
south of the quarantine line. OF course.
you understand that all cattle bred in the
/ south are not immune from tick fever.
! but they are likely to be more nearly &C
/ climated. and you might be able to buy
! them at a lower relative cost.
Your idea of building q barn so as tc
/ protect the manure is to be commended
/ This is one OF the ways in which a gooc
profit Is made out Of the stock business
/ even though no actual money were OBJ.
| tanned The foods suggested for winter
] use are very good. The amount of cotton
seed meal TO feed will depend on how
rapidly you want to force the cattle. Two
pounds should be enough for a mainte
nance ration, though six to eight pounds
+, should probably be fed to a 1,000-pounc
! steer which you wish to finish in a perioC
| of from three to six months Only a small
! amount of meal should be fed in the De
| ginning. and the ration gradually increas
/ ed. There is no reason why you SHOULD
| not be able to raise all the roughnes:
/ you need on your farm, and all the con
/ centrates with the exception OF the meal
| A little corn to feed along with the mea
viii give you excellent results, Where yol
have an abundance of leguminous haS
less meal need be fed.
! II is :, good idea to concentrate you
/ efforts and use the manure on a limited
! acreage so as to improve IL permanently
! rather than scatter II over large area'
/ and fail TO improve any OF it materially
; There is no reason why the rotation sug
F., gested by you should not be followed
| successfully, though IL may take sons
years to build up the land to where 4
will give you the results you now an
/ ticipate. We think it would pay you &
/ you are going to milk your cattle at all e
/ save all the milk and use the skim mill
! with a little fiaxseed meal In II for calve,
end hogs, making the cream into but
/ ter, or possibly shipping II IL you can d.
so advantageously. With a good Bermuda
or red-top soil you should be abb
/ to carry about as much weigh
OF cattle during the summer sea
son as can be carried elsewher'
In the country. From three TO nv
acres will be ample 70 carry matur'
| cattle beast. OF course, season and sol
| will have an influence on the number o
acres set aside for each animal I'M
I should enable you on a 100 acre farm e
! carry the number Of cattle you would De
sire 20 finish OF as suggested. 0
course. Il viii take time and effort AM
the outlay OF some money 20 bring abou
this result and you will have many dif
fculties and obstacles to overcome as yo'
go along. Many OF these can not be fore
. but many o