Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-03-15


geographical location and the climatic
conditions Of the south are such as to
make it a good section for cattle rails
ing The soils are so varied that what
may be said in a general way will not
hold true for all places or sections of
this large area. They vary from light
sand to heavy clay, or to the black
prairie soils, or the stiff post-oak AS
rule the sitter the soil and the
greater the content Of lime in the
soils, the more nutritious the grasses
are, and the greater is the variety of
cloyers which will grow.
The Piedmont section of Virginia,
West Virginia, Western North Caro-
lima, Tennessee, and northern Ala
bama is fine grazing country and
thousands of good beef cattle are TO
be found there. The Shorthorn is more
popular than any other breed in this
region and they do exceedingly well
The grazing plants are chiefly blue
grass, white clover, red clover, red
top and orchard grass. The cattle fat
ten very rapidly during the grazing
season and raise excellent calves. Most
of this region is free of ticks and the
losses from death are relatively small
The black prairie section of Alabama,
Mississippi and Texas and the delta
lands of Mississippi and Louisiana are
extremely Favorable sections for rails
ing and finishing beef cattle. Expert
ments conducted by the bureau of ami
nal industry and the Alabama expert
ment station show that cattle when
kept free of the cattle tick, can be
raised at a cost og to 4 cents a pound
This cost includes the keep of the COWS
for one year, charges for pasture and
all feeds consumed at market prices,
depreciation in the value of the herd
and per cent interest on the money
invested. The principal native grasses
which are indigenous to these soils
are bermuda, Johnson grass, lespedeza
and melilotus; but red clover, alsike
clover, bur clover and white clover
grow readily when planted in the pas
lures, and the grazing season can be
extended greatly by their use. Alfalfa
soy beans, cowpeas, sorghum and other
forage crops do well on these lands
and produce an abundance or roughag.
and hays for wintering and fattenine
the cattle The red clay soils produce
crops very similar to those mentioned
for the prairie soils.
There are great areas of "cut-over'
lands n the south that range In pric,
from 81 to $40 per acre, which could be
used for beef production. The soil OIL
such lands is usually sandy or post.
oak, neither of which are as good fol-
grazing as the prairie or delta lands
but which furnish good grazing if 6
little care was taken in getting pas
ture plants started. On these soils car.
pet grass, bermuda, lespedeza, white
clover, red top, paspalum dilatum and
bur clover do exceedingly we'll The
carpet grass furnishes abundant graz.
ing on the sandy lands while the Der
muda does better on the soils which arl
a little stiff The paspalum, white clo-
yer, and red top do well on the damn
lands, and if some lime is present al
sile clover will furnish fine grazing
The foundation of all pastures on saL-
dy or sandy loan lands should be car
pet grass, bermuda and lespedeza. The
variety of forage crops which may be
kept on the farm.
One Of the greatest drawbacks to the
cattle industry of the south has been
he presence Of cattle ticks that trans
mits Texas fever, which kills many Of
the cattle and stunts others in growth.
The tick is rapidly being eradicated,
and it is only a question of time until
the south is freed of this pest.
The native cattle of the south are
cold -b1OOdo5 ccrubc oorr,yino, q ,,orio