The Era-leader., 1917-06-21
WASTE LANDS SHOULD
PRODUCE LIVE STOCK
/. IuviaI Lands in Pasture Garry Near
Iy Two Head Of Cattle per Acre NIne
Months in Year--Cut over f'ne
Lands, Properly Fenced and lnproV'
ed, Also Make Valuable Pastures


ed, Also Make Valuable Pastures
Statistics show that only about 10
per cent Of the lands in Louisiana are
in cultivation: the remaining g. per
cent includes abandoned farm lands'
timber lands, the Cut-over pine DeN'
2 considerable area Of swamp lahu
along the rivers, and large strip o.
marsh land along the coast.
Even in the better cultivated sec
tions there is always an abundance "I
land which is not cultivated every
wear. and when these lie in the aliu'
vial plains or smaller river valleys
they are almost invariably clotheo III
4 wonderful sod OF Bermuda grass
and white clover, with smaller tracts
of lespedeza, Johnson grass ana many
other useful forage crops intimately
mixed with liberal growth OF weeds
briars and underbrush. 1t is also ap-
parent to anyone that from early
spring TO late fall the great Dulk OF
this pasturaga goes almost entlreiE 10
waste because of the lack Of sufficient
cattle or other animals to Craze 1t OH
in a way 10 return profit to the OWL
er. The cut-over pine lands and MIL
sections of the state are generally COW
cred with natural growth OF the
sedge grasses, some of the Wlld le-
gumes and a varying amount OF un-
derbrush, which increase as one goes
toward the northern par OF the state
It would be almost impossible to cStl-
mate the amount of natural wealth
which is wasted in not properly utll-
izing these spontaneous srowths for
live stock production, as there is un'
questionably enough OF it to MAINTAIN
many hundreds OF thousands OF cattle
and sheep if properly used.
While no accurate data is aVallaDle
that would show the carrying capacity
Of all classes Of pasturagc, 1t is GER
tain that the better pastures IN the
alluyial section of the state have a
carrying capacity far in excess OF the
ordinary estimates of average land IN
Southern states. One pasture OF 2oo
acres, consisting of heavy black lana
sod with Bermuda and white clover
has carried nearly two head OF cattIe
to the acre for nine or ten mOntns
of,the wears 1915 and 1916. The only
pastures which one sees grazed down
to where they are really in the best
condition are the small plats about
barns and premises where 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, o.
course, not nearly so great. 1t is
perhaps safe to say, however, that tht
poorest of our pine hills and flats vii
carry one mat ire animal for every five
acres without improvement, though i
is not recommended that they be use(
in this way, as all of them can b'
greatly improved for pasture purpose
by a small expenditure for seeding
with lespedeza, white and burr clover
Bermuda and paspalum grasses. 1t i
quite probable that for at least a gen
Grafton to come these pine lands ar
going to be more useful for stock rails
ing on an extensive basis than TO
any other purpose, and when the,
have served their purpose in this d
recti0n they will be more productiy
when cut up into small farms, as the
no doubt will be in due course @
time.
To look at the question more frOr
f the standpoint of the individual farm
a casual survey will convince anyOn
that the average farmer of Louisian
owns or controls much more land tha
he utilizes for any practical purpose
. year after year. These waste lands
generally speaking, could be made t
pay part Of the expenses of the farr
if they were properly fenced and cor
t yerted into pasturase for the grain
of live stock.-G. Il. Nesom, Live St0c
= Extension Service, Louisiana Stat
University.