Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-04
AGRICULTURAL
9SGduCatiOn
~ AND SUCCESSFUL HH1Nd
SZE1 /" ANDRMM SoULE
Encouraging L5ve Stock Farming

Georgia has more than one hundred
million dollars invested I'm live stock.
This includes the horses and mules
which furnish the motive power for the
operation of our farms and plantations;
the beef cattle raised pre-eminently for
the provision of meat; the dairy cattle
maintained for the production of milk;
the hogs used TO supply bacon and
hams; and the sheep serviceable FOR
wool and mutton. While poultry in the
strict sense OF the word would not be in
cluded under the head of live stock, its
importance on the farm is so great that
its inclusion in this discussion is con-
sidered essential One hundred million
dollars represents a large investment,
and when one thinks OF the potential
relation which the various classes Of
animals bear TO the maintenance of a
profitable agriculture and the adequate
nutrition of our people, 1t is easy TO
understand why our best thought and
energies should be directed TO the con-
servation and utilization of our animal
industries in the most efficient and
secientific manner, thereby insuring the
highest degree of prosperity in Georgia
through providing for the diversi1cation
Of our crops on a scale commensurate
with the needs of the commonwealth
and the nation.
husbandry in Georgia is making rapid
strides forward. In fact, a marked in
crease in this direction has been observ-
able for the past five years. and it will
now be accentuated by reason of the
presence of the boil weevil in the south
western part of the state. Therefore,
the problem Of animal nutrition will
become ever increasingly important 20
Georgia land owners. Moreover, the
concentration of effort upon the main
tenance of farm animals is one of the
happiest signs of the times, for those
who have familiariZed themselves with
history bear testimony to the fact thai
those sections of the country have been
most prosperous and successful through
long periods of time where live stock
husbandry has been emphasized. In
meeting boil weevil conditions, diversi-
fed farming must be practiced, and this
naturally calls for distinct increase In
the number and variety of animals
maintained on the average farm. There
fore IL is possible to see how the boil
weevIl invasion may eventually be
blessing in disguise. for it means that
the farmer will be forced out of the one
crop system and will be i'm position to
utilize the by-products or cotton to ad-
vantage at home, whereas, at present
our modest development Of live stock
industries has resulted in our using a
great deal of the worlds most important
and valuable concentrate directly as fer
tilizer or permitting its export to foreign
countries where it has been used, not
ably by Germany, not only for the pro-
duction of meat for the maintenance Of
her population, but for the enrichment
of her SOIL so that I'm a period of stress
such as she is now passing through she
Is able to maintain. her large population
primarily upon her own resources. Since
her soil was so poor originally that this
would have been utterly impracticable.
IL is easy to see what contribution TO
the German empire the farmers of the
south have made by permitting their
cotton seed meal to be shipped abroad
rather than fed at home, thereby en-
abIing them to diversity their crops and
and increase rather than decrease the
fertility of their land.
THE WISE DISPOSITION OF COTTON
SEED.
In the first place, cotton seed are a
by-product on the average Georgia
farm, and after the lint has been sold,
the question naturally arises as to what
should be done with the seed. To solve
this question correctly, IL is necessary
20 call in the services of the chemist
who tells US that ton of seed contains
about So pounds of nitrogen, % pounds
Of phosphoric acid, and % pounds of
potash. When available nitrogen sells
At 16 cents a pound. available phos-
phoric acid at cents, and available
potash at cents. il will cost the farmer
S12.23 to replace the plant food contain
ed in a ton of seed. OF course, some
will point out that potash is worth three
or four times as much as has been indi-
Gated in this article at the present mo-
ment. As a matter of fact, this is only
a temporary condition, and even if the
potash were valued at 20 cents pound,
II would not raise the value Of ton OF
seed beyond SIG to s17. If the farmer
can secure. therefore, $50 and upwards
per ton, or 80 cents bushel and up
wards for his seed. under existing con-
ditions, il is to his advantage to sell
them. The reasons for this are obvious.
The seed contain only about half as
much fertility as a ton of meal, while
the oil makes them objectionable not
only for feeding. but for use directly or
in the form of compost. Then, the oil
constitutes one Of the most wholesome
and desirable additions to the human
dietary, and to bury ii i'm the soil is a
useless waste If the seed are sold or
exchanged for meal. the latter can be
fed to the best possible advantage,
thereby insuring large quantities of
meat and milk for the consumption
OF the farmer and his family, and the