The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-05-06
Good Pastures on Every Farm.

larger crops. and better living are
certain to accompany good pastures.
A carpet of green Ger hill and dale
does more than furnish beautiful
landscape to gladden. the eye: it be-
tokens a land which has always
nourished a strong. prosperous and
happy people.
Pasture plants. which furnish rich
green feed for livestock. require
warmth and moisture. The South has
warmth. moisture and good soil
of an abundance for the production
of the best pastures. While rich
soils produce good pastures. pastures
also tend to produce rich soil. In
other words, rich soils are the re-
suits as we'll as the cause of good
pastures.
Temporary pastures, or those
which are only to last for a few
months. or at most a few years. are
made on cultivated lands or those
suitable for cultivation. and the pas
ture is merely a part of rotation
in the cropping system. The perma-
nent pasture is largely made on land
unsuited to cultivation. and as
farming system which seeks the lars-
est returns from the land. probably
the permanent pasture should only
be made on lands not suitable for cu!-
tivation.
All lands must produce some crop
to be OF permanent value. If not
growing timber. or garden or field
crops, then the aim should be to have
it produce grazing for farm animals.
There are millions of acres in the
South producing no crop of value.
which should and could be furnish
ing grazing enough to supply the
meat, milk and butter now costing
us millions Of dollars annually.
Put the Idle Acres to Work.
He would not be regarded as a
wise business man who kept half his
capital idle. nor is the manufactur-
ing plant likely to be prosperous
which runs or operates only up to
half it's capicity; and yet half the
lands of the South are producing no
crop of value. Those lands which
are bringing in no revenue are con-
suming the fruits of our labor from
the cultivated acres. 1t takes too
large a part of the crops of our cul-
tivated acres to pay the interest and
taxes on the idle acres.
1t, therefore, follows that the
lands which are producing nothing
of value should be put into perma-
nent pastures as far as conditions
and capital will permit. We men
tion capital advisedly. for it requires
money to make a pasture. An area
of waste land does not become
pasture by merely enclosing with a
fence. 1t is true that such land will
produce some grazing. and If ii will
furnish enough feed TO pay for the
fence, and no more money is aYana-
Bile than is necessary to build this
fence then that should be the first
step taken towards the making OF
the pasture: but fence alone will
not often produce a good pasture OIL
Southern lands.
Pasture plants are s!ow-SrowinG
plants and in the struggle fOr exist
ence. If unaided by man, they are
overtowered by rank or vigorous
growing non-pasture plants. The Sec
ond step. therefore. in making per-
manent pasture is to destroy and
keep down the non-pasture plants.
TO the extent that this is done. or to
the extent this is practicable. will de-
pend the value of the pasture and the
feed it will supply. The third es-
sential to a pasture in the South, at
least in the upland or rolling Sec
tions, is TO prevent the soil washing
away until the pasture plants estab-
lish and fix themselves thereon, when
they will prevent further washing.
The fourth step towards pasture
is the sowing Of the seeds Of pasture
plants.
The warmth and moisture of the
South result in vigorous growth
of weeds and non-pasture plants.
Our heavy rainfall and the nature of
our soils cause erosion or washing
away of the top soil in exposed
places. These two facts account for
the absence of grass-coyered road
sides, vacant lands and untended
areas. These conditions relieved or