The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-22

shortage Of cattle is such as to cause
buyers to come from the far West to
buy these scrub cattle for breeding
purposes, the chances of Southern
farmers refllling their pastures with
good cattle are indeed small. for
where are these good breeding cattle
to come from at reasonable price?
The best and most profitable way OF
getting good cattle throughout the
South is to breed up the native cat
tie by the use of pure bred bulls and
by castrating all scrub bulls at an
early age.
South Especially Adapted.
The South is especially adapted to
raising cattle, because of the long
grazing season the enormous areas of
cheap land. much of which Is now ly
ing idle. the great variety OF pasture
grasses and legumes which grow lux
uriantly on all soils. and because of
the mild winters.
If the Western ranchman can afford
to pay Southern farmers good prices
for cows. pay the high freight rates
to the West, stand the losses which
naturally occur during shipping thin
cattle such long distances. also bear
the losses due TO a change of climatic
conditions. and then make money on
them. why cannot the Southern farm
we'll as the grazing lands, and who
needs the manure upon the soils, keep
this stock on the farm and secure the
increased profits? He can. IL he Will
free his cattle Of ticks. increase the
efficiency of his pastures by planting
mixtures of lespedeza. bur clover,
white clover or perhaps meliiotus,
alsike clover and redtop over his pas
ture lands: and by raising more hays
70 int OIL
stock and finishing them for market.
The surplus cattle can then be rat
tened by feeding cottonseed cake on
grass, or grazing fields of velvet beans
while feeding some concentrate; or
they can be finished in the dry lot
during the winter months. For Win
ter feeding no roughage has proven
more valuable than silage, as the ad-
dition of 1t to a feeding ration in
variably increases the size of the daily
gains and reduces their cost. thereby
making greater profits. The quality
and the quantity of silage which can
be produced on some OF these cheap
lands cannot be surpassed by the high
priced lands of the corn belt. whereas
the cost OF producing 1t is far less be-
cause Of the cheap labor.
Advice to Farmers.
The farmers of the South are there
sale shipping of their female cattle
10 other States. to free the pastures Of
the cattle tick and to increase the
number and quality of their cattle by
the use of pure bred beef bulls. The
progeny will not only grow faster and
make larger and better cattle, but
will be far more profitable to raise
and to feed than are the natives. The
soils will be increased In fertility by
the manure, which gives such profit
able returns when applied 10 the COT
ton crop and puts vegetable matter
into the soil. The amount of COM
mercial fertilizer necessary to produce
a crop will be reduced and a more
bountiful yield win be produced.
Literature regarding methods of
feeding cattle in the South and eradi--
eating the cattle ticks may be OBJ
tanned from the bureau Of animal
industry. department of agriculture
Washington, DC. Southern farmers
are also advised to consult the de-
partment's county farm demonstra-
ton agents.