Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-07-13
LET IDLE LAND GROW FORAGE.
Time Yet to Plant Sorghum, NIcxi-
can June Corn, Kafr Corn.


worth Of feeding stuffs every year,
and at the same time her farmers
allow a great deal of land to lie idle
during a portion Of the year when II
would grow large amour. Of need
ed forage. Except In few compar-
atvely small sections of the South
there is not enough hay grown to
supply local needs, and consequently
hay generally sells at from SIS to $25
a ton. Where this condition exists
there Is no better money crop than
hay, and not a single acre of Oat or
wheat stubble should be left idle. In
addition to the oat and wheat lands
there are many other idle and crest
ing acres that would pay better in
some useful forage crop.
In no part Of our territory is 1t
yet too late for sorghum and millet,
and, except In thr northern part 1t is
not too late for Mexican June corn
and kafir corn. The objection may
be urged against these, that they i'm
poverish the soil rather than I'M
prove 1T. This is true If they are
taken off and sold, or If made into
hay and feed and the manure wasted,
but if grazed or consumed on the
land, or If fed and the manure saved
and returned to the land, we would
rather have any soil growing these
crops than lying idle producing a crop
Of weed seed to interfere with the
growth Of next years crops. But the
man who Is looking for an excuse to
avoid the work and expense neces-
sary to make forage Oh these idle
acres will have no trouble in finding
one, and we fancy we hear him say
ing, "Wouldn't 1t be better to plant
these idle acres in cowpeas, or soy
beans?" Yes, it would, and we wish
we could induce our readers to grow
enough cowpea and soy bean seed to
SOW all the land the South ought to
put into these crops; but this they
will not do and consequently many
an acre Of oat and wheat stubble will
be left idle because cowpeas and soy
beans are too high priced or cannot
be had at any price.
The Value of II Good Hay Crop.
We have never taken any stock in
the abuse OF cotton as a farm crop,
which IS so popular at this time with
many who advise the farmer, but a
ton and half Of hay, worth on the
market from $40 to $50, and 20
bushels Of SOY beans, worth from
$1.50 to $3.50 4 bushel, is a crop
that will compare favOrably with
cotton when we consider that in the
southern half Of our territory two
crops might be grown on the same
land IN one season, or in any part Of
the South one crop OF this size may
be grown after crop Of oats or
wheat. Is cotton a better money
crop than SOY beans at present prices,
considering the conditions under
which they may be grown?
At least, it Is certain that those
lands which have grown cotton so
long would not grow it any the less
Drontably if a crop Of SOY beans were
grown on them every second year.
1t is not, however, for those who
Will SOW every acre Of idle land to
cowpeas or soy beans that we are
writing at present. 1t is for those
"ho cannot get the seed of these
legumes or those who will not pay
the present high prices, that we are
calling attention to other forage
crops which, although not land i'm
proyers, are valuable forage crops
th@, may be made to save us millions
OF dollars now paid for Northern tim
othy hay and corn and oats.
Some Crops that Will Make Feed for
Next Winter.
kafir corn and Mexican corn will
mature in less time than ordinary
corn and will make fair crops during
seasons Sn dry that a crop Of late
planted corn would porvc a failure.
The danger Of late planted corn is
usually the dry weather of August
and September and for this reason
we believe that kafir corn should re-
ccive more consideration for planting
on the lands left idle during these
months.
We are not advising that kafir corn
or Mexican June corn take the place
OF the common corn, nor that millct
and sorghum displace cowpcas or soy
beans, but If there Is an idle acre of
1nn nd H,hi al
other crops from now until Noyom-