The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-10-12
Clemson Extension Work-Ar:icle
XXI.

The increased interest in the feeding Oh
live stock by the farmers is one OF III!
most encouraging signs that's different alld
better system Of agriculture Is adu
being developed. Farmers are beginning
to realize that some means be devised fol
obtaining maximum yields OF the several
crops at the minimum expense OF lertlllZer,
and fortunately there is no section OF The
country where the soil fertility can be per
manently increased more econonlcally;
The continuous growing OF cotton ON tlt
same fields year after year and the wash
ing of the land during the winter months
has been the chief cause OF depicting the
fertility and reducing the yield upon the
average farms. Yet if a rational system
of agriculture was followed, these condi'
tiOns would be quickly removed and the
value and productivencss Of the lane per-
manently increased. =.
While cotton seed meal contains practl-
cally all the fertility extracted from the
soil by the cotton crop and is one OF the
most valuable fertilizers we have, 1t Is also
equally as valuable for feeding live stock,
The cotton lint and the oil contain no fer
tility whatever and can be sold from the
farm without loss which means that II The
cotton seed meal now produced IN thls
state was fed to beef and dairy cattle and
other animals good enough to return the
owner the market price OF the meal
in the form Of milk or INCREASED flesh, the
wealth of the state would be Increased
over s., OOO, 900 annually and if the manure
were carefully saved and returned to the
soil, the annually account for fertilizer
which is now $50, 600, 900 could DC reduced
to the extent of the value of the meal. 1t
would only require Il few years Of this SyS-
TEN of farming to enable every farmer To
make his w fertilizer free of cost and
double our present yield and revenue per
acre. Many farmers are how endeaVOrlns
TO do this 10y feeding of beef cattle and II
Intelligent methods are followed this c II
be developed into Il profitable business.
In looking over the feeding records Of
last year We find that many farmers could
have materially increased their profits had
better methods Of selecting feeding and
caring for their cattle been followed. For
feeding purposes farmers should insist on
buying nothing but the Lest quality and
highest grade meal that is offered. The
cheaper low grade meal and fixed feed are
always the least profitable and should not
be used except at Il much over price than
they are usually sold for.
In buying cattle it is Important that
they should be of good beef type and nnl-
form in size, color and age. The cattle
should be weighed after being twelve hours
without feed or water or with q 3 per cent
shrink. If they are weighed with 80 to -
pounds of water and feed i'll each animal
in might easily off set the profits OF feed
ing them.
The profits in feeding cattle will depend
largely on the character OF the cattle. lie
only kind that can be fed proiitably are
those that will increase III value as they
put on flesh. The scrub narrow backed
steer can only he fed at loss and one ol
the first requisites in successful cattle
feeding is to become IL competent judge
and be able to make an Intelligent sclrc-
ton. The Agricultural Fairs should assist
materially III this matter by establishing
Judging Glasses, and wherever the farmers
of the state are sufficiently Interested III
the breeding, feeding, Judging and caring
for any kind of live stock to call il meeting,
the Extension Departmental Clemson Col
lege will gladly send men who are spr.
cially trained in this line Of work to rem
der every possible assistance or will he
glad to render assistance by corrcspon-
dence.
Prof. \. Smith.
Clemson College, ). &.