Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-02

. the fact thst they would produce all the
hay needed and for the maintenance OF
our ever Increasing numbers OF farm
.uilT.t4- lbs - sl.sr,. .uta~E.;V cot .-'ti-
protection. Presenting that they can OBJ
tain all the hay they need from some
other part of the country. il is clear
that the freight alone viii add several
dollars a ton TO the cost. 1t is also self
obvious that the movement of every ton
% hay from the north to the south helps
further TO blockade our oVer-conEested
railways We have been warned as 10
our duty and responsibility in the mat
Ter Of producing food stuffs sufficient
TO maintain our southern enterprises.
Therefore. if the government has to
choose between the movement of hay to
the south and the movement of food.
troops and manufactured products to
the sea coast what is likely to be the
outcome? Its further calculation to the
thoughtful mind will not be necessary.
We have made a wonderful response
in the last two years 10 the call of the
government in the matter of food pro-
duction Last year the state of Geor-
gia got on a self-sustaining food basis.
There is no reason why she should not
do even better this year. We produced
a considerable surplus of the most i'm
portant crops grown in America and we
hope to do equally well in this respect
this year. We made less proportionate
advance. however, in the production OF
hay crops than almost anything else
of an essential character. We are call
ed on 10 grow Let us make the resolu-
ton this year that there will be no mis-
take about growing all the hay here in
the south that is needed for the liberal
maintenance of our live stock until an
other harvest. There is much truth in
the old saying that lit is never too late
to mend" Even if there is temporary
drouth in certain sections at this time
il is important to remember that hay
crops in Georgia could even be sown as
late as September /. Millet will mature
sufficiently to cut and cure into a good
quality of hay in a period of about sixty
days. II seeded not later than August !
in many. parts of north Georgia, or Sep
TENDER 1 in south Georgia, good crop
OF hay could be gathered from it be-
fore frost falls. AS a matter of fact,
we SELL have two months in which to
seed many crops which can be utilized
TO advantage for hay. The farmer who
has not insured an abundance of rough
age for his live stock should lose no
time. therefore, in preparing and seed
ing a sufficient area of land to provide
them with their winter requirements.
Many crops may still be planted for
this purpose up to say July Is. One
of the best to use, of course, is cow
peas IL appears that the spectators
hoped to corner the cowpea market and
SO they purchased widely and paid eX-
traordinarily high prices for seed peas
Now to their sorrow they find them
selves in possession of great quanti-
ties of seed of this particular crop. The
peas are rather a drug on the market
at the present time and the owners
thereof are beseeching the food admin
istration to help them find market for
them through inducing people to use
them for food purposes. There are
plenty of vegetables available now in
all the home gardens and the eating of
peas at this time is neither essential or
desirable 1t is. however, very. import
ant 10 the economic welfare OF Georgia
and the other southeastern states that
great areas of peas be planted imme-
diately for the purpose of producing an
abundance of very desirable hay and
forage, and plenty of grain to supply
the requirements of our live stock, as
well as the tables of our own people
during the approaching fall and winter
of 19Is-1919.
Peas may be planted for hay either
with or without millet They can be
sown in combination with sorghum or
with corn. They may be seeded with
Sudan grass. We prefer the first COM
hination. When seeded with millet an
early maturing variety should be
chosen. Any standard strain of millet
may be used, but we think probably the
giant headed varieties are the best. We
would prefer to SOW the smillet and
cowpeas in. drills say "a to 80 inches
apart. Before seeding the ground should
be broken and well prepared. Some
times during very wet spell the peas
and millet can be disked into the land
without breaking it, This is good
practice when seasonal conditions per-
nit The millet should be cut for hay
just when. the seeds are coming into
the dough stage. This is particularly
important if il is to be fed to horses
and mules. Ii makes no difference
when the millet is cut in so far as feed
ing it to beef cattle and dairy cows is
concerned. though. of course when cut
AT the stage indicated it will probably
prove more palatable to the animal con-
Stunning il than if cut at any other time
Soy beans may also be used as a hay
,rOp. They produce not only a good
quality of hay. but a satisfactory yield
Of grain as well. They contain proper
. slOnaIelN more gram imam GOWpedS.
Either of these crops may be sown i'm
combination with sorghum or millet. For
late seeding. say August Is to Septem-
Der !. millet IS probably better sown
by itself. In that event we would still
prefer TO drill in, using a moderate
amount Of seed per acre.
Millet is said to be hard crop on
the land. This is due TO the fact that
| II makes a comparatively heavy yield
| in a short period of time. 1t is a sur
face feeding crop and. therefore. to OBJ
tain the largest returns from il one
should use some fertilizer. Any stand
ard grade mixture can be used to ad-
vantage. If if contains a fairly liberal
amount OF nitrogen the growth IS likely
so be more rapid and the yield heavier
II will only take four or five acres of
( land on the small tenant farm to pro-
I duCe sufficient feed FOR the work stock
I on the larger farm 70 will require an
area in proportion to the live stock and
amount OF land cultivated In any event
/ i is just as important to produce an
abundance or satisfactory hay this sum
uer as 20 grow plenty OF cotton pea
uuts velvet beans or any other staple
srop. In view OF the abundance of
~owpoa seed now available at eaSonable