The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-04-18
RAISING BEEF CATTLE
SOUTHERN STATES ARE WELL
ADAPTED TO THE INDUSTRY.
Great Areas Of "Cut-Over" Lands at
Prices Ranging From 81 to $40
Per Acre AvalIabie-Ticks
Nearly Eradicated.


prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture)
The geographical location and the
climatic conditions of the South are
such as to make it good section for
cattle raising. The soils are so va
ried that what may be said in a gen.
eral 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 stif post-oak. AS a rule the stiff
fer the soil and the greater the content
Of lime in the soils, the more nutri-
tious the grasses are, and the greater
is the variety Of clovers which will
grow.
The Piedmont section Of Virginia
West Virginia, Western North Caro-
lima, Tennessee and northern Alabama
Is a fine grazing country, and thous-
ands of good beef cattle are 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 fatten 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 Ala
bama, Mississippi and Texas. and the
Delta lands of Mississippi and Louis
lana, are extremely favorable sections
for raising and finishing beef cattle
Experiments conducted by the bureau
of animal industry and the Alabama
experiment station show that cattle
when kept free of the cattle tick, can
be raised at a cost of to 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 6 per cent in
terest On the money invested. The
principal native grasses which are In
digenous to these soils are bermuda,
Johnson grass, lespedeza and melilo-
tus; but red clover. alsike clover. bur
clover and white clover grow readily
when planted in the pastures. and the
grazing season can be extended great
ly by their use. Alfalfa. soy beans.
cowpeas. corn, sorghum and other
forage crops do we'll on these lands
and produce an abundance Of rough
age and hays for wintering and fatten-
ing the cattle. The red clay soils pro-
duce crops very similar to those men
toned for the prairie soils.
There are great areas Of "cut-over"
lands in the South that range in price
from 50 to SO per acre. which could
be used for beef production. The soil
of such lands is usually sandy or
post oak. neither Of which are as good
for grazing as the prairie or delta
lands, but which would furnish good
grazing IL little care was taken In
getting pasture plants started. On
these soils carpet grass, bermuda, les
pedeza. white clover, red top, pas
palum dilatatum, and bur clover do
exceedingly well. The carpet grass
furnishes abundant grazing on the
sandy lands while the bermuda does
better on the soils which are a little
stiff The paspalum, white clover.
and red top do we'll on the damp lands,
and II some lime is present alsike
clover will furnish fine grazing. The
foundation Of all pastures on sandy or
sandy loam lands should be carpet
grass. bermuda and lespedeza. The
variety of forage crops which may be
raised on this type of soils is large,
and 1t is an easy matter to grow all
the hays. silage crops and forage nee