Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-22

The farmer is greatly interested in
the best method OF disposing of his
farm crops. In other words. what re-
turn can he hone to secure by selling
them directly from the land as compared
with feeding them. for instance. to beef
cattlee What will be the effect Of sell
ing the crops from the soil as compared
with feeding them on the permanent
fertility of the Iand2 And which method
is likely to enable the farmer TO make
satisfactory living from the land2
These questions have been studied quite
extensively at the Tennessee experiment
station. and the results obtained there
win be sufficiently applicable TO south
ern conditions in general 10 make their
consideration from an economic poin;
Of view well worth while
Quite a variety of crops were studied.
including soy beans. barley. cowpcss.
wheat. oats corn and alfalfa While
winter barley is a crop not so well and
favorably known by many southern far
mers as il should be. il can be cultivated
with success in practically all parts Of
the south. and because Of its value for
grain production. it should receive con-
sideration wherever a rotation is to be
established II is valuable not only for
grain and hay production. but for pas
rure as well
The tests in question show that soy
Deans and barley rank well ahead of all
other combinations used in so far as
the amount of food material produced
per acre was concerned. These two
crops were. Of course. grown in success
sion on the same land. the soy beans
making an average yield Of grain for
seven years of 19-s bushels. and the
barley OF 2e.4 bushels per acre Soy
beans ranked ahead of cowpeas in the
production of grain each year. the aver
age for the cOwpeas being % bushels
per acre. The results indicate that bet
ter returns were secured from soy beans
and barley as a rotation for the pro-
duction OF beef than from any other
combination OF crops. In other words,
the rotation in which SOY beans were
used produced an average of 81 pounds
more beef per acre than that in which
cowpeas were used. and "a pounds more
than that in which corn was used. These
facts make clear the statement which
has been emphasized by the writer on
maDv occasions. namely, that other
legumes so as to produce two crops a
year will be found more satisfactory for
growth under southern conditions than
corn alone The corn naturally Oc-
eupies the land for the greater part
Of the growing season and is more ex-
nausting 10 the soil than a combination
crop OF a cereal and a legume.
Soy beans and barley when fed to
beef cattle produced an average of sos
pounds Of beef per acre; cOwpeas and
barley, 451 pounds; corn and barley,
is4 pounds: soy bean hay and barley,
t35 pounds; soy beans and wheat, 400
pounds; soy bean hay and oats, ass
pounds; and alfalfa SIS pounds. The
best gains were obtained per acre when
the soy beans were allowed to reach
maturity rather than when they were
made into hay. This is an important
point TO bear in mind The average
gross returns during the seven years in
which this test was conducted indicate
that the soy beans and barley made an
average return of s61,23 per acre; cow
peas and barley. s5s.s4; corn and bar
ley. $3.50; soy bean hay and barley,
s57.07; soy beans and wheat. $3.50;
soy bean hay and oats. $5s,23: and al
falfa hay. 1881. These results would
indicate. therefore. that under good
management the finishing of beef cattle
could be practiced successfully on land
which cost as much as 500 and up
wards per acre OF course, intensive
cultivation and the careful conservation
OF fertility would have 10 be practiced,
but these figures illustrate the latest
possibilities of the south for the pro-
duction OF beef under a system where
two crops are grown each year. No
one who has studied the situation ana
familiarized himself Herewith can
question our ability to produce two
crops successfully in a single year 1t
is interesting TO observe the very con-
siderable amount OF beef obtained from
an acre OF land under this system of
management the average Of the expert
ments indicating that as much as $50
pounds per acre might be secured. but
providing the returns were much less,