The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-09

can be made. He figures that with |
rainfall and genial climate his farm
mas two advantages that are equival- |
emf 70 money from home. Soil fer
Unity Is the only weak spot in the pro-
position If Richmond county had soil
lertiiity to correspond with climate
and rainfall the people of the Drown
ing creek ridges would be purse
proud arlStocratS. Luckily soil fer
unity is a physical requirement. dis
posed Of by the addition to the soil
OF something that can be procured.
Inc main thing needed is decayed
v~egetation. That can be procured by
growing something on the ground
and permitting it to fall down and
De Incorporated with the soil. Or il
can De done more enthusiastically by
more direct and aggressive methods.
Feed Cattle, Improve Soil.
Derbys idea of improving the soil
Is by feeding cattle. Last winter his
plan was SO comprehensive and intel
iiseht that 1t was taken up by the
North Carolina Experiment station.
ana the state Joined Mr.. Derby in
Worklng out a problem of cattle feed
ing n oil Improvement on a rather
xtende scale. Cattle feeding has
oeen a hobby with Mr.. Derby. and the
experiment undertaken by the State
"@' Win liz IOed Oh InOlnR the rpIa-
tive cost and profit or out door feed
ing and stable eeding.
Inc result of the experiment has
oeen by bulletins from the
Animal Industry Division Of the State,
and shows that the cattle fed in an
open tive acre lot gained slightly more
on the same feed in the same length
OF time than cattle fed in a covered
barn, and with no more attention and
Work. This was the beginning of a
bigger experiment that Mr.. Derby has
on hand for the coming winter. when
ne to use a lot %ontainin
Seventy-five acres to further test out
the value OF different methods Of cat
tie feeding. The lot will be inclosed
with fence. and a sufficient number Of
cattle. will be ranged on the lot to
make a test of the benefits derived
from the manure from a big herd
scattered On the lot by the cattle.
The purpOse in feeding cattle on the
Derby plantation is to improve the
soil. From the experiment Of las,
winter it was possible to put six tons
of on seventy-five acres OF
land. to be planted in corn. By tons
at the Derby farm is meant tons as
the load is weighed at the big plat
form scales. for there is no g,reSS-work
in these experiments. Six tons to the
acre for corn land has given the corr
1891 otiN " >ctCl Via I"l iiIOls
would envy if they could see it.
Promoting Growth of Beef.
On new ground, ploWed for the frs
time. manure has gone at the rate @
SIX tons to the acre, and on that new
ground the cOrn is most promising
) The corn will go to the silo at tn
proper time, and after the two bi
| silos are filled it will be AXE to tn
/, corn crib and the fodder will go t
. the barns and saved for the feed lots
l Or the S~eventy-five acre experiment
. lot the feed will be fed on the grOunC
! and the cattle ranged over the trao
throughout the feeding eaSo unit
ready to load for market. With sill
3 age, fodder, and any feed stuff raise
|. on the farm will be given a free "a
ton of cotton seed meal, the purpos
being to promote the growth of bee
r and also to fortify the manure wit
e a highly heterogeneous content. M
t Derby is not so confident Of meal g
It some feeders, believing that cattle wi
g stand it for a while, after which. if tn
quantity fed is large, it will becom
Y dangerous. Cotton seed meal cor
d tains a dangerous toxic property thf
n results fatally if the ration is too larg
e and continued too long. But wit
silage fed literally and on a Unite
IL feeding period such as is necessary Q
North Carolina coastal plains farm
IS l1C oiS 10 NV o1oN1 Aii ~
n perience with hullS is also favOrab
Y if the hulls car be had at a propt
) figure. They hould not go aboN
n six dollars a ton at the present prize
of beef. cattle and other feed.
On the seventy-tive acre lot the CO
n tie will be fed at different parts
O the field from day to day to ~encouras
II them to range over the entire trac
The object is to ave hauling four
~ five hundred tons of manLre M
Derby is not primarily interested
feeding cattle as a mean of MAXI
~ money. With him the production
beef cattle is a side line to develt
-, the fertility Of the farm which he
=, creating. When he gets the sevent
five acre lot in shape for cotton
- will make money on the cotton. Viii
~ he is planting cotton in the improve
lot he will be improving another |
- in the same manner. and swingil
: the feeding factors back and for
q over his entire plantation until it
- r. --hOl1- 1ifforon Sfoto Of ia