Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-14
Developing Permanent Pastures

Dsveioptu- Permanent Pastures
The growth of a live stock industry
is commensurate with the development
OF suitable pasture areas. This has
been the history of cattle raising the
world over and il will continue TO be
true 10 the end of time. Our desire TO
develop a great live stock business in
the southeast will depend. therefore,
more or less on our ability to provide
suitable permanent pastures. The gen.
eral devotion OF agricultural effort 10
the cultivation of cotton has not pro-
NOTED a study of grasses. and hence
little progress has been made in the
direction indicated. The fact that ma
tive grasses suited TO this area have
not been previously developed have leo
many to the conclusion that they are
nonexistent and that it will not be
possible to secure them. This is
mistake, however, as a number OF very
excellent grasses well suited 10 this
purpose are available They have not
been exploited and cultivated, however.
in any measurable degree. and hence
the extent of their adaptability for the
purpose in question is not understood or
appreciated.
In this connection it is proper to
state that il is not essential that We
find native grasses for the establish
rneut of permanent pastures. Most OF
our important hay grasses, as timothy
of the north, were found growing WHO
but through mans persistent eHort ana
systematic selection have been brought
under cultivation until they now con-
stitute our most important hay ana
misunderstanding grasses In the souIh
many of those grasses and clovers pest
adapted for general cultivation were
INF ri
their value has been established beyond
question Hence, il we do not ma
readily at hand grasses which are
suited by reason Of their habitat 10
meet the requirements OF the SITUATION
they can undoubtedly be found IN some
orber section of the globe and intro
duced and cultivated successfully.
In the area in question there are vary
ing types of soil and climate AS re-
suiE. grasses must be selected for past
urage purposes which are best adapteo
for growth in the different locauoh-
Where the land is rolling and steep
which is often the case in north Georgia
Bermuda grass will be found very sat
isfaetory. In south Georgia where the
lands are low possibly the paspalums
should h. useo instead Hence. the
question of aiaptibility is most i'm
oprtant factor to take into consloera-
ton. On the billy lands and the rolling
areas OF the Piedmont section ideal
pastures may be laid down through the
use OF bermuda Lespedeza and bur
clover ON the lotion lands. Dallas
grass. Bermuda grass and white clover
xiii do well On wet lands red top
should be utilized Thus. IL appears
that in the section in question there are
three very distinct soil situations TO De
met In other words, one might IAN al
together in trying TO establish pasture
on upIands through the use of red top.
and failure must he almost equally GER
tain on wet bottom lands were the
grasses adapted TO hillsides sown there
THIS Is one Of the reasons why we have
frequently failed to develop suitable
pastures because up to this time there
has been little distinction made be-
tween the types or land to which the
various varieties were best adapted, and
practically no attempt has been made
10 combine grasses and clovers in suit
able combinations so as TO afford graz
ing throughout the greater part OF the
year.
The enumeration OF the foregoing va
rieties indicates that this can be done
IN an acceptable manner For instance,
when Lespedeza and bur clover are
combined with Bermuda a much longer
grazing season is obtaired. and also a
uents which nourish the animal body to
the best advantage. There are thou
sands of acres of land adapted TO such
pastures in the Piedmont area which
will produce moro If SraZed by live
stock than if cultivated. The land so
handled can be enriched and Kept in
good condition. whereas. If they are
broken up the gerater part of the plant
food they contain rapidly finds its way
M full nr1r
pose in crop production On the other
hand, beautiful landscapes are washed
eroded and destroyed and the agricuit-
ural value of the country materially
lessencd, aside from rhe unsightly con-
dition which is thus created. Nature in
tended that such soil areas should be
used for grazing purposes. The level
lands and the well-drained bottoms
were provided to grow the supplement-
al crops needed by live stock Let us
therefore devote those areas unsuited
to the pillow 10 permanent pastures and
so establish and maintain an adequate
supply OF beef and dairy cattle IN the
Piedmont area Of the south.
In the great plains area and the
coastal regions other types of grass
will suit better than those generally
recommended for the Piedmont area
Take south Georgia, for instance. car
pet grass combined with white clover
and Lespedeza will do well on the
lighter upland soils Where the land
is rather low Dallas grass should be
added 20 the combination. On heavy
upIands. made up primarily Of the Green
willie and Orangeburg sands, Bermuda
and Lespedeza should do well and bur
clover may be added if the land is in
good fettle- OF the permanent types