The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-09-01
WASTE LANDS SHOULD
PRODUCE LIVE STOCK
AiIuvlal kands IN Pasture Carry Near
ly Two Head 81 Cattle PER Acre Nine
Lands. Properly FsnesS and IsnpreV.
ed, Alec Make Valuable Pasturea

Statistics show that only about 1e
per cent Of the lands in Louisiana are
In cultivation; thu remaining 81 per
cont includes abandoned farm lands.
timber lands, the eut-over pine belt,
considerable area OF swanO land
along the rivers. and 4 large strip Of
marsh Land along the coast.
Evex In the better cultivated sec.
tions there 10 always IN abundance Of
land which Is not cultivated every
year. and when these lie in the allu.
vial plains or smaller river valleys
they are almost Invariably clothed in
q wonderful sod Of Bermuda grass
and white clover. with smaller tracts
Of lsspedexa. Johnson grass and many
other useful forage crops intimately
mixed with a liberal growth OF weeds.
briars and underbrush. 1t Is also ap-
parent to anyone that from early
spring to late fall the great bulk Of
this pasturage goes almost entirely to
waste because of the lack OF sufficient
cattle or other animals to Craze 1t OF
in a way to return profit to the own
or. The cut-over pine lands and hill
sections Of the state are generally GOV.
cred with . natural growth OF the
sedge grasses. some OF the wild le-
sumes and q varying amount Of un-
derbrush. which increases as one goes
toward the northern part OF the state.
II w0Hld Be almost impossible to est.
mate tho amount Of natural wealth
which 10 WASTED in not properly util-
Using these spontaneous growths for
i've stock production. as there IL nm
auestienab,y enough Of II to maintain
many hundreds Of thousands OF cattle
and sheep II properly used.
While no accurate data 10 available
that would show the carrying capacity
Of all classes Of pasturage. 1t is oer-
tain that the better pastures in the
alluviel section Of tho state have q
carrying capacity far in excess Of the
ordinary estimates Of average land Ia
Southern states. One pasture u 300
acres. consisting Of heavy black land
sed with bermuda and white clover
has carried nearly two head Of cattle
to the acre for nine or ten months
Of the years 1918 and 1916. The only
pastures which one sees srazed down
70 where they are really in the best
condition are the small plats about
barns and premises whore the mules
and family milk cows have free access
to comparatively small areas.
The carrying capacity Of the cut
over pine and hill lands are, Of
course. not nearly 50 great. It is
perhaps safe to say. however, that the
poorest OF our pine hills and fats will
carry one mature animal for every five
acrss without improvement, though II
Is not recommended that they be used
In this way. a. all Of them can be
greatly improved for pasture purposes
by Q small expenditure for seeding
with lespedeza. white and burr clover.
Bermuda and paspalum grasses. It Is
quite probable that for at least gen.
Grafton to come these pine lands are
going to be more useful for stock rails
INK on an extensive basis than for
any other purpose. and when they
have served their purpose In this d.
rection they will be more productive
when cut up into small farms, as they
no doubt will be in due course of
time.
To look at the question more from
the standpoint Of the individual farm,
a casual survey will convince anyone
that the average farmer Of Louisiana
owns or controls much more land than
he utilizes for any practical purposes
year AFTER year. These waste lands,
generally speaking. could be made to
pAy . part Of the expenses of the farm
II they were properly fenced and con.
verted into pasturage for the grazing
Of live Stoke. e. Nesom, Live Stock
Extension Service. Louisiana State
University.