The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-03-26
FARM NOTES BY THE COUNTY
AGENT

From modest beginning about
five years ago, club work for young
people has spread all over Florida
until now it is carried on in all the
counties but five I'm fact, SO general
has the work become that a county
without it is considered behind the
times. 1t is a great factor III the
training Of the young people along
practical and scientific lines of agri.
culture and shows that the young
people, as well as the older people,
of the county are alive to the oppor-
tunities Of progressive farming.
Marion county has done splendid
work in the past in the corn and pig
clubs and being the leading agricul-
tural county fo the state, is expected
to do bigger things this year. Many
have enrolled in the different clubs,
but many more members are needed
to be sure that no other county goes
ahead.
The time for planting crops is here
and we must get busy.in earnest if we
are to do our best. Remember that
there is club for any kind of boy
or girl, on any kind of land. Those
between the ages of 10 and Is are al
lowed to join and can choose to go
into any, or all of the clubs, namely:
Corn, peanut, sweet potato, sugar
cane. calf, pig and fat barrow. At
tractive premiums are offered for the
best work in each club and these will
be awarded during the Marion County
Fair in November.
IN order to make it easy for any
boy or girl, to get start in pure bred
live stock, the Ocala National bank
has offered to furnish as much as
$2,500.0O for buying calves and $4,000.
90 for buying barrows and to give
the prizes in these two clubs. The
Munroe & Chambliss bank also are es-
sisting the young people as formerly
and are loaning money to the pig club
members and have offered $4,000
cash for prizes in this club. With
such help and encouragement, there
is no reason why Marion county
should not be the champion county
in the club work this year. Young
people, let's Sc that she is. Join a
club and get busy.
With the increase of live stock in
the county, more attention should be
paid to pastures. 1t is an accepted
fact that cheap animals can not be
grown without the aid of some kind
of pasture. Land that is biven TO
grass will produce cheaper meat than
if planted to cultivated crops.
The great trouble with the most
of our pastures is, that they are on
the poorest lands and are not given
the proper care. 1t seems to be a
common belief that the fertile lands
are too valuable FOR pasturing and
that the lands of least value should
be used for tEis purpose. AS result
the pastures have not been profitable
and have been neglected If the best
soils were devoted to grass, the proper
care given and the right kind of live.
stock grazed, the returns would be
equal to, or, greater than those from
staple field crops on the same land.
The best plant for summer pasture
is Bermuda. 1t will survive more
drouth, moisture and abuse than any
other gress that we have. But do not
over stock it and be sure to keep
down weeds by moving.
The best way to get rid OF Bermul.
da grass is to smother it with shade.
For this purpose nothing is equal to Z
mixed crop of COW peas and velvet
beans. Use one bushel of peas an1
bushel and ashalf of late beans per
acre and plant broadcast about the
first of April. The peas will cover
the grass until July and then the
beans will furnish shade for the rest
of the summer. AS soon in the fall
as the beans shed their leaves, either
Craze of or disk down. the bean crop
and plow the land for oats, planting
Immediately two and a half bushels
of seed per acre Then in the spring.
repeat the operation if much OF the
Bermuda shows up. This method is
effective and will kill out this grass
entirely, but a good stand of the
shade crops must be secured in order
to keep the ground covered.