Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-10-03

pasture is possible six or eight
months in the year, it is often
short at time when dairy prod
ucts are in greatest demand, and
with the silo, COWS may be shell
tered and fed from November till
April. With a silo a COW may be
kept for a year on one or two acres
of land, providing some concen-
trateS are purchased. The sight
of silo filling outfits on the road
reminds one of the great dairy cen
ters in the middle west.
A discussion of stock would be
incomplete without referring to
the horse breeding industry. Dur
ing the soil survey it was unusual
to see small colt, in fact all stock
practically was bought-usually at
great loss to the farmer-from
out of the state. The change from
light mules and horses is already
under way and in time all work
stock will doubtless weigh at least
1900 pounds or more.
The great Importance of the
above change is readily apparent
when it is considered that over 5S
per cent of the county is heavy
clay land. These heavy clays re-
quire deep plowing and this is i'm
possible without three or four very
heavy horses or mules. That scme
of the breeders fully realize the
needs is evidenced by the colts Of
heavier breeds, seen frequently.
The increased acreage of corn is
apparent and as many are raising
improved varieties, the average of
seventeen bushels per acre, which,
obtained according to the census
of 1900, has been increased. This
means that much money will now
be kept at home and that corn will
be more cheaply produced. 1t is
evident that corn will be very
high another spring and the great
ly increased acreage of oats means
that much home grown feed will
be utilized at an immense profit
oyel tie Old system. Already sew
ernl large fields of oats were seen
making a good growth and | am
informed that the fall sOwn acre
age will be many times larger than
ever before. 1t is never too late
to SOW rape and crimson clover or
burr clover for winter pasture and
these crops should be more gener
ally introduced.
Noxubee county affords abun-
dant opportunity for the cheap
production of pork, and although
the number of hogs is on the in
crease, it is rather surprising that
this important branch of diversi
fed farming has not progressed
more rapidly. The Houston and
Oktibbeha soils, especially, will
grow large amounts of cheap for
age and pasture feed for hogs, and
large boned hogs, such as the Du
roc Jersey, are capable OF consum-
ing large amounts of such bulky
feeds as alfalfa and Bermuda,
which thrive well.
The tendency to grow early va
rieties of cotton is fortunately be-
coming quite general and this is a
most important step in combating
the weevil. The tiling and other
wise draining the soil so as to
adapt the soil to the production of
early cotton has as yet received
scant attention. This was men
toned on page sixteen of the Soil
Survey Report and is most i'm
portant step in cotton production.
A large acreage of NOXubee soils
will be unable to produce early
cotton unless the soil is adapted
by drainage and this should be the
next step to be undertaken. 1t is
of course impossible to go into de-
tails here, but there are bulletins
available which cover this subject
very fully as regards cost and 9th
er details of the work. NOXubee
has enough clay in the county to
make tile for itself and many other
counties besides, and there is a
good opening for those who wish
to engage in this enterprise in the
county. l am informed that
brick and tile of a very fine quality
are already produced in Noxubee,
some of which are shipped as far
North as st. Louis.
A most encouraging feature is
the rapid increase in immigration,
especially on the black lands.
These farmers, | am informed, are
largely from the Northern dairy
sections as well as the hay produc-
ing states and are bringing with
| them the farm practices. that have
made their home states so well
known for agricultural activity.
1T couversed with a number oil