The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-07-15
growing Hay MAY
Be MADE PROFITABLE
Varieties Of Grasses and LeQN,les
that will DO we'll in The South.
Obstacles in the Path OF The
Grower.

According to the most recent |
figures Of the department, 1,305, 900 |
tons of hay, valued at SIT, ,626. 900, !
are brought each year into the II
Southern States. In other words,
the South produces only four-ffths
Of the hay that it consumes and i'm
ports the other one fifth. This IS 2
singular state Of affairs for great
agricultural section, ard the causes
for it are analyzed in a new publica-
ton Of the department, Farmers
Bulletin 677. 1t is practicable .
says this bulletin, for the farmers
Of the South to produce all the hay
that they need on their own farms
For the city markets, however,
southern hays fnd it difficult to
complete with timothy, clover, or
alfalfa, none Of which have done
we'll in the cotton belt, except in
limited areas. Another obstacle is
the likelihood Of rainy weather in
terfering with the curing Of the
crop.
These two obstacles, however, Go
s! not alter the fact that, with suitable
soil conditions, growing hay in the
! South for market should be profit
able production. The heavy clay
upIands and the sandy soils along
| the coast are not well suited for this
| purpose, and the Department Of
| Agriculture considers it doubtful
whether it is advisable to attempt
TO produce market hay on them. On
the other hand, bottom or alIuvial
lands, if sufficiently drained, are
admirably adapted for hay produc-
ton, and il there is q good market
/! for hay IN the vicinity, will probably
give as great prof1 in this way as
in any other.
| Granting iii,egtt the soil IS suitable,
| another factor to be taken into CON
II 5ideYation is the amount Of land at
| ones disposal To produce mark
|! hay economically requires 2 special
| equipment, the expense of which is
Il SO considerable that it is doubtful
| whether a farmer is justified in in
curing it unless he expects t. have
/ 20 acres or more of hay to cut each
i year. This equipment includes &
= mower, rake, tedder, Wagon with
frame, horse fork, pitchfork, and q
hay press. The press, OF course, is
e not absolutely necessary, and, IN
Ie less the farmer has so tors or moTe
= to bale, it will probably be more
eocuomicai for him to pay for the
- baliag than to purchase the press
( 4 common method Of overcoming
this difficulty is for oGe farmer III :
community to purchase a press anc
to make business of baling hay fol
eE the others.
Among the grasses and legun1e:
that make good market hays in ths
South are lespedeza in the lowe,
IA Mississippi VALLEY johnson gras
O. over most Of the cotton belt Ber
FL nlula grass Oh the rich bottom
lands the Arlington mixture Cor
char,l grass, tail cat grass, an:
aisihe) on the heavy uplands. Su
dan grass is also showing mus
Ia pco:n7se. In considering the relss
tive merits OF these market hays,
nust b remembered that eac
. market is likely to have It's own re
quirenents which do not s4iwaT
correspond to feeding values. Tier
,a is also the question Of prejudice t
be taken into consideration.
u This is particularly true Of join
. son grass. which has suffered grca
II on the market from its bad repl
tatiyn IS Il weed, 1T Is lndee
doubtful whether for this reason
shouie; ever he soWn on land not q
81 ready occupied by it. It's merits
other respects, however, have BEG
49, thoroughly demonstrated, and t
land already covered By it it may
cut with profit for market nay
ina is especially satisfactory for hor5
5ed in the city, many livery men CO
siGering it practically as good
timothy for this purpose.
Bermuda grass is also we'll know
-'-s' throughout the cotton region. T
'he though used primarily Tor SUNNI
10 pasturage, it grows tall enough
.ses rich soil to cut for hay and may
- moved two or three times d seaso
Welding an average OF about | t
per acre for each cutting. LesI
ina deza does we'll with it, though, Il
cad the Bermuda grass, it frequent
@ / does not sr y tall enough to cut
hay. About 10 per cent CT the co
mercial hay sold IN New Orleans
lespedeza.
The Arlington mixture, Wh