Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-10-03
PART IL.

PART II.
Bermuda grass win furnish grazing for
from seven TO nine months in many por-
tons OF the south The question natural
~ arises. therefore. as TO how the ami
mails shall be carried for the balance OF
the time. II is surprising how much
food they viii pick up when the fields
are brown. and seres but il would be
poor management not TO provide some
feed when it can be so easily and cheap
ly secured. There are two methods of
supplying the needed food. First. ono
may reserve a portion OF the better land
In the area TO be grazed, fence it tenn
porarily and seed IT to rye and vetch or
other winter growing cereals in late Au-
gust or early September. II is surpris-
ting how much fine grazing may be Sc
cured in this way. and IL Is possible I'M
der good management TO carry the ami
mails on grass in the summer and on ce-
real substitutes In the winter. 1t Will
be well, even where the finest winter
grazing is available, 70 feed a small
amount OF cotton seed meal. say from 1.5
10 pounds per head per day. There Is
no theory about this method of man
aging beef cattle, for we have been able
to raise animals by this plan. and have
demonstrated its probability to our
own satisfaction and can recommend it
given the same amount of care and at
tention as was done in our case.
The other method is 10 maintain the
cattle on silage and cotton seed meal. In
this case the proper method of pro-
cedure, is TO fence on section of the
land convenient to the grazing area, and
OF sufficient extent to allow more or
less rotation of crops. and thus avoid
growing the silage on the same land
each year. Erect a-silo Of sufncient ca
pacity to supply the needs of the herd
and contiguous TO it shelter for the
feed troughS. This shelter may be
erected so as to face the south, being
closed in along the back to keep out the
cold north and west winds of the win
ter season. The feeding troughs should
be placed down the center, .necessitating
the sheds having sufficient area for the
animals 10 feed from both sides of these
troughs. An ordinary trough two and a
half feet high with a six-inch board and
a tight bottom will answer every pur-
pose. II il is made about four feet
broad there viii be little danger of the
animals upsetting it. 1t should, Of
course. be well braced SO as to with
stand the pressure incident to a num-
Der of animals feeding from il at one
time The shed may be covered with
some of the cheat roofing materials and
supported by posts sunk in the ground
OF set on cement piers Such a struc-
ture can be built on any farm at cost
of a few dollars even IL the materials
have to be purchased On most planta-
tons there is enough timber available TO
build the structure without purchasing
anything save the nails and possibly
some roofing material. OF course, much
more elaborate structures may be built
and a great variety of designs and plans
could be suggested, but this as one of the
simplest and most economical and quite
as satisfactory as any with which we are
familiar. In feeding the siIage should
be thrown In the troughs and the meal
scattered over il at the rate OF one 70
two pounds per head per day, depending
on the condition of the animals. No more
feed should be given than taey will be
I'D readily, and the troughs should De
cleaned out each day. The manure ae-
cumulating in the shed may be used in
growing the silage crop Experience in
dicates that for each cow about 400
mounds Of siIage will be required for the
average winter feeding period. Silage can
easily be made FOR s. a ton. and the out
Law for this I'D of food win not be over
81 per head. About 30 pounds of meal
will he required, which al IL cents
amounts to $50. The cost OF mainte-
nance for each COW for the winter period
therefore becomes $50 For the caif
not over half the sfIage and meal re-
quired for the dam win be needed, max
ing the total outlay. $50. or for the dam
and calf, NL40.
This is an outside figure for undouht-
edIy the animals can be maintained on
many plantations at lower actual food
cost than is here indicated This would
make the total outlay for the 50 animals
and their calves 1854 as an outside figure.
subfracting this from the SEQ, the sale
price of the calves in the autumn, il
leaves S2Ts margin for rent of land. Since
20 per cent loss on the herd has already
been allowed for through a failure OF
animals TO breed. through loss from
sickness and death, and since individ-
uaIs becoming useless as breeders may
be disposed Of and younger and more
desirable animals selected from the fe-
male part CT the herd TO take their
utaces. the item Of depreciation has ap-
parently been provided, for in salts
factory manner There Is, but little, in
the way of buildings. fences or equip
ment TO keep up. and even If $40 be set
aside for this purpose, which should be
ample, there is stiIl a rental left OF
better than 81 per acre, and II the
SO be couT ted in, the rental per acre
would vary from l.50 to s1-60. We be-
lieve II viii be possible TO secure a bet
ter return than Is here indicated for a
beef proposition en- thousands OF acres
OK land in Georgia and the south which