The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-01-21
PERN1AllE.iV 1 ASSURES
FOR THE COTTON BELT

Permar mt pastures are necessity
IN the cotton states. Even with the
present acreage devoted to cotton and
other titled crops, there is plenty of
Idle land that if turned into pastures
would yield a good additional income
without increasing the farmers labor
bills to any appreciable extent. In
changing from cotton growing to live
STOCK raising, as many are now doing,
the need of permanent pastures be.
comes imperative.
The more fertile the land the better
me pasture; but for economic reasons
the rough fields and quilted hillsides
should be the first to be used for grass.
me increasing prices of meats and of
arm labor will often make the fertile
nelds more profitable in pasture than
| IN TILED crops. The convenience of
water for the stock should not be over
looked in choosing a field for a pas
ture.
The success of permanent pasture
depends primarily on the fertility of
the land at the start. On good soil
with the proper system of grazing, a
pasture will increase in production for
many years. 1t is slow process, how
ever, to build up poor soils by pastur
ing alone. 1t is better to put the land
in good filth at the start in order to
maintain the stand of the more nutri.
tious grasses and clovers.
If the soil is deficient in organic
matter, some green-manure crop, such
as cowpeas or rye, should be plowed
under before seeding the grass. Sta
BILE manure would accomplish the same
purpose. but this is not often available.
Experience has shown that phosphorus
is the one element that Is most likely
to be profitable in pastures; so, II com.
mercial fertilizers are used those car.
rying high percentage of this ele.
ment are most desirable. Acid phos-
phate and basic Stag are the most
| economical and satisfactory materials
to use.
Kinds of Grasses For Pasture.
The Southern States are fortunate
in having a number of first-class pas.
ture plants suitable for their condi.
tions. With a proper selection Of
these plants it is possible to have
good pastures throughout the entire
year.
In seeding, it is best to use mix
| ture of several grasses and clovers, as
no one kind will meet all requirements.
OF the many pasture plants available,
the best ones under general conditions
are Bermuda grass, lespedeza, bur clio
yer, and white clover, Redtop, orch.
ard grass, carpet grass, Italian rye
grass, and the vetches should be ad
ded to this list for the special condl'
lions mentioned later.
Bermuda Grass.
Bermuda grass is unquestionably
4 the best summer pasture grass known
in the South. 1t occupies the same rel
alive position in that section that blue
grass does in the North. 1t should be
made the basis for pasture mixtures
on all soils except the very light sands.
Bermuda grass does best on rich loans
along creeks, sometimes growing large
anough to make tons Of hay to the
acre. The yield is not SO high on up.
lands, but it is sufficient to justify its
use for grazing purposes on all the
loans and the heavier types Of soils.
1t is permanent in its existence on fer
tile soils, endures long periods OF
drought without much injury. is bene.
flied rather by the grazing and tramp
ling Of stock, and furnishes as nutri
tious feed as most other grasses
No other plant has been found that
is more suitable for quilted hillsides
to prevent washing and to cover the
scars of erosion.
The seed is best sown on we'll
prepared seed bed in March or April.
Five pounds of seed to the acre is suf-
fcient, as the seed is very small, and,
besides, the grass spreads rapidly over
the ground by means its aggressive
root stocks. In order to facilitate the
equal distribution Of such a small
qauntty of fine seed, 1t may be mixed
with cotton seed meal or dry earth
to increase the bulk or, better, mixed
with some other seeds Of pasture
plants, as directed later. The seed
may be covered with roller or light