Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-04-22
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Observation-Disclosures
i. PASTURES AND STOCK !.
Ss RAISING. .fs
'f'.t'$'.s'.s'.s..S"0s'.s' Observation-Disclosures
(By. DR.. A. M. Soule.) }

Now that so much attention is be-
ing directed towards the develop
ment Of live stock farming in the
South greater consideration must of
necessity be given to The establish
ment and maintenance Of pastures.
All experiments up to the present
time show that grazing furnishes the
cheapest and most effective method
of maintaining milch cows, beef cat
tie and sheep. Hogs and horses and
mules can also utilize pastures to the
best possible advantage. This being
true, it becomes Of general interest
to determine what grasses and other
crops may be used successfully for
the economic maintenance Of live
stock in this State.
For a permanent summer pasture
Bermuda grass has the widest adapt
ability of anything which can be
grown. Where it is combined with
Japan clover or Lespedeza its value
is increased for the two constitute a
better grazing crop than either grown
Singly. Moreover, the clover helps to
increase the nitrogen supply Of the
soil through its ability to gather this
element out Of the air under normal
conditions Of growth. In some sec
tions blue grass can be grown to
some extent. This will be found a
very valuable grass for permanent
pasture where 1t maintains itself
with any degree of satisfaction. 1t
has longer season Of growth than
Bermuda and is not cut down by
freezing to anything like the same
degree as Bermuda.
Other tame grasses which can be
for grazing purposes are timothy,
tall oat grass, orchard grass and red
top. To these may be added in pro-
per combination white clover, alsike
clover, and in some instances, red
clover. Alfalfa can, of course, be
grown to best advantage by itself.
Where the tame grasses mentioned
are depended on for graZinz purposes
they are best used in combination
rather than singly. Orchard grass
will give it's best results in semi-arid
localities. Tall oat grass will grow
better Oh thinner, poorer and drier
soils than any other grass. Red top,
timothy and alsike clover do better
in proportion on bottoms or damp
soils than any of the other kinds
mentioned
Practically all the tame grasses
will be benefited by liberal applca-
tons of~lime, and especially on soils
low in this element. A ton Of pow
dered rock should be applied every
second or third year. Tame grasses
will not stand as much abuse as Ber-
muda, and such areas should be rest
ed from time to time by transferring
the grazing animals to the Bermuda
sod. Tame grasses will last for pas
turage purposes for several years.
Bermuda will also retain it's hold on
the land for long time, but it is
often necessary to plow up pastures
of this character every second Or
third year because OF the denseness
of the sod formed Breaking up the
land and turning 1t over helps to re-
inVigorate the growth and improves
the quality of the herbage. This is
also quite an effective means of help
ing to destroy bitterweed. Bermuda
re-establishes itself so quickly after
the sod has been turned over that
comparatively little time is lost out
of the seasons grazing.
Where dairy COWS and beef cattle
are maintained on pastures during
the summer time, it is believed that
a small amount OF concentrates can
tie fed with advantage. 1t is desira-
bic to produce "baby beef under
modern conditions Of farm practice,
and about two pounds Of cotton seed
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