The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-03-19
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI
As CATTLE SECTION
AeRlcuLruREDEPARTMEN SAYS
CONDITIONS ARE SPLENDID
FOR THIS iNpusTRY.
TICK IS GREATEST DRAWBACK
Nowhere Else in the World Can Cattle
be Raised More Cheaply-Experts
Tell Best Grasses to Grow and Best
Method For Breedins-DeveIopment
is Sure.

Washington, March 19.-That cut
over pine lands In South Mississippi
and many other sections OF the South
are especially well adapted to cattle
raising is the statement Of officials in
the Department Of Agriculture.
In connection with this opinion the
department gives out some valuable
information as to the best grasses for
cattle and other facts Of especial i'm
portance to cattlemen in this section.
1t says:
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 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 clovers which will grow.
Extremely Favorable.
"The black prairie section Of Ala
bama, Mississippi and Texas, and the
Delta lands Of Mississippi and Louisi
an are extremely favorable sections
for raising and finishing beef cattle
Experiments conducted by the Burea,
of Animal Industry and the Alabama
Experiment Station show that cattle
when kept free Of the cattle tick, car
be raised at a cost of 3 to cents ;
pound This cost includes the keel
of the cows for one year. charges TO
pasture and all feeds consumed a
market prices, depreciation in thu
value of the herd, and per cent in
terest on the money invested.
The principal native grasses whicl
are Indigenous to these soils are bel
muda, Johnson grass, lespedeza ant
melilotus; but red clover, alsike cloy
er, bur clover and white clover groy
readily when planted in the pastures
, and the grazing season can be extend
ed greatly by their use. Alfalfa, so
beans, cowpeas, corn. sorghum an
other forage crops do well on thes
lands and produce an abundance O
roughage and hays for wintering an
fattening the cattle. The red ella,
soils produce crops very similar Il
those mentioned for the prairie soils
cut.over Lands.
There are great areas of 'cut-over
lands in the South that range in pric
from 81 to $40 per acre, which coul'
be used for beef production. The sol
of such lands is usually sandy or post
oak, neither of which are as good TO
grazing as the prairie or delta lands
but which would furnish good grazinl
if a little care was taken in gettini
pasture plants started. On these soil
carpet grass, bermuda. lespedeza
white clover, red top, Paspalum dilata
tum. and bur clover do exceedingly
well. The carpet grass furnishe
abundant grazing on the sandy land
while the bermuda does better on tn
soils which are a little stiff. Th
paspalum, white clover, and red top d
well on the damp lands, and If som
lime is present alsike clover will flu
nish fine grazing The foundation {
all pastures on sandy or sandy LOAF
lands should be carpet grass, bermud
and lespedeza. The variety of forag
crops which may be raised on thi
type of soils is large. and it is an cas-
matter to grow all the hays, silag
crops and forage necessary for fee
ing the stock. which may be kept o
the farm.
The Cattle Tick.
"One of the greatest drawbacks
the cattle industry of the South hs
been the presence of the cattle tic
that transmits Texas fever, whie
kills many of the cattle and stun
others in growth The tick is rapid
(Continned on Page Two)