Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1914-04-15
RAISING BEEF CATTLE
SOUTHERN STATES ARE WELL
ADAPTED TO THE INDUSTRY.
Great Areas of "Cvt-Over" Lands At
Prices Ranging From e TO $40
Per Acre AvslisbIe-Tieks
Nearly ErsdIeated.

prepared BY the United States Depart
men; OF Agricuiture)
The geographical location and the
climatic conditions OF the South are
such as TO make IL a good section for
cattle raising. The soils are so va
RED 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 stin post-oak. As a rule the stiff
fer the soil and the greater the content
OF lime in the coils. 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 we'll. 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 desth 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 I 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 tie
value Of the herd. and per cent In
terest on the money invested. TSc
principal native grasses which are In
digenous TO these soils are bermuda.
Johnson grass. lespedexa and melilo-
tus; but red clover. alsike clover. bur
clover and white clover grow readily
when planted In the pastures. and tie
grazing season can be extended great
" 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 81 to go per acre. which could
be used for beef production. The soil
Of such lands 10 usually sandy or
post oak. neither of which are a. good
for grazing a. the prairie or delta
lands. but which would furnish good
grazing II . 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 we'll. The carpet grass
furnishes abundant grasing on the
sandy lands while the bermuda 6oss
better on the soils which are . little
stiR. The paspalum. white clover.
and red top DO we'll on the damp lands.
and II some lime ID present a1sike
clover viii furnish nns grasins. The
Foundation Of ali pastures on sandy o.
sandy loan lands should - carpet
grass. bermuda and lsspedssa. Ths
variety Of forage crops which nay y
raised on THE typs q soils u lss0s.
and II 10 an sesy matter 10 osov -
~ hays. sjlAge agope anl eDeA0D -