The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-06-23
SOUTHERN HAY
FOR SOUTHERN
N A R K { 7 8
VARIETIES OF GRASSES AND LE-
GUMES THAT WILL DO WELL IN
THE SOUTH AND OBSTACLES IN
GROWERS PATH.

Washington, June 23.-Accordine
to the most recent figures of the Uni
ted States department of agriculture
,305 900 tons of hay valued at s17,-
| 626,0 are brought each year into
the II southern states. In other word;
the south produces only four-fifths
of the hay that it consumes and i'm
ports the other one-fifth. This is a
singular state of affairs for a great
agricultural section and the causes
for ii are analyZed in a new publica
tiOn of the department. Farmers Bull
letin 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
find it difficult to compete with tim
Othy, clover, or alfalfa, none of which
have done we'll in the cotton belt,
except in limited areas. Another OBJ
stacle is the likelihood of rainy
weather interfering with the curing
of the crop.
These two obstacles. however, do
not altar the fact that with suitable
soil conditions, growing hay in the
south for market should be a profit
able production. The heavy clay up.
lands and the sandy soils along the
coast are not well suited for this pur-
pose, and the department of agricul-
ture considers it doubtful whether it
is advisable to attempt to produce
market hay on them. On the other
hand, bottom or aluvial land, if suf-
ficiently drained, are admirably adapt
ed for hay production, and If there
is a good market for hay in the Vi
cinity will probably give as great
profit in this way as in any other.
Granting that the soil is suitable.
another factor to be taken into con-
sideration is the amount of land at
ones disposal. To produce market
hay economically requires a special
equipment, the expense of which is
so considerable that it is doubtful
whether a farmer is justified in in
curing it unless he expects 20 have
20 acres or more of hay TO cut each
year This equipment includes a
mower, rake, tedder, wagon with
frame, horse fork, pitchfork. and a
hay press. The press, OF course. is
not absolutely necessary and. unless
the farmer has 80 tons or more to
bale, it will probably be more eco
nomical for him to pay for the baling
than to purchase the press. A COM
mon method of overcoming this diff
hculty is for one farmer in a COM
munity to purchase a press and TO
make business OF baling hay for the
others.
Among the grasses and legumes that
make good market hays in the south
are lespedeza in the lower Missis-
sippi valley; Johnson grass over
most of the cotton belt Bermuda
grass on the rich bottom lands; the
Arlington mixture Corchard grass,
tall oat grass, and alsike) on the
heavy uplands. Sudan grass is also
showing much promise. In consider
ing the relative merits of these mar |
tet hays, it must be remembered that
each market is likely 10 have its own
requirements which do not always
correspond to feeding values. There
IS also the question of prejudice to
le taken into consideration.
This is particularly true of John.
ion grass, which has suffered great
Y on the market from its bad repu-
alton as weed. 1t is indeed doubt
III whether for this reason it should
'ver be sown on land not already
by it. Its merits in other
espects, however, have been thor
'ughly demonstrated and on land al.
eady covered by it, it may be cut
With profit fer market hay. 1t is