The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-10-13
Clemson Extension Work.

Clemson Extension Work.
The increased interest in the feed
ing of live stock by the farmers is
one of the most encouraging signs
that a different and better system of
agriculture is gradually being devel-
oped. Farmers are beginning to re-
aliZe that some means must be de-
vised for obtaining maximum yields
of the several crops at the minimum
expense of fertilizer, and fortunately
there is no section of the country
where soil fertility can be perma-
nently increasd more economically.
The continuous growing of cotton
on the same fields year after year
and the washing 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 were followed, these con-
ditions would be quickly removed
and the value and productiveness of
the land permanently increased.
While cotton seed meal contains
practically all the fertility extracted
from the soil by the cotton crop and
is one of the most valuable fertil-
izers we have, it is also equally as
valuable for feeding live stock. The
cotton lint and the oil contain no
fertility whatever and can be sold
from the farm without loss which
means that if the cotton seed meal
now produced in this State was fed
to beef and dairy cattle and other
| animals good enough to reurn to
the owner the market price of the
meal in the form of milk or increas-
ed flesh, the wealth of the State
would be increased over s5,000,O00
annually and if the manure were
carefully saved and returned to the
soil, the anual account for fertilizer
which is now s20,000,000 could be
reduced to the extent of the value of
the meal. 1t would only require
few years of this system to enable
every farmer to make his own fer
tilizer free of cost and double our
present yield and revenue per acre.
Many farmers are now endeavoring
to do this, by feeding of beef cattle
and if intelligent methods are follow
ed this can be developed into profit
able business.
In looking over the feeding rec
ords last year we find that many
farmers could have materially in
creased their profits had better
methods of selecting, feeding and car
ing for their cattle been followed.
For feeding purposes farmers should
insist on buying nothing but the
best quality and highest grade meal
that is offered. The cheaper low
grade meal and mixed feed are al
ways the least profitable and should
not be used except at a much lower
price than they are usually sold for.
In buying cattle it is important
that they should be of good beef type
and uniform in size, color and age.
The cattle should be weighed after
being twelve hours without feed or
water or with 8 per cent. shrink.
If they are weighed so or Is pounds
of water and feed in each animal, it
might easily Offset the profits Of
feeding them.
The profits in feeding cattle will
depend largely on the character Of
the cattle!7 The only kind that can
be fed profitably are those that will
increase in value as they put on
flesh. The scrub narrow backed
steer can only be fed at a loss and
one of the first requisites in Success
full cattle feeding is to become a
Judge and be able to make an intelli-
gent selection The agricultural
fairs should assist materially in this
matter by establishing judging class
es, and wherever the farmers of the
State are sufficiently interested in
the breeding, feeding, judging and
caring for any kind of live stock to
call meeting, the Extension Depart
ment of Clemson College will gladly
send men who are specially trained
in this line of work to render every
possible assistance or will be glad to
render assistance by correspondence.
PROF. A. SMITH,