Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-13
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
az DR.. ANDREW NJ SOULE
Hay Crops of Promise to Southern
Farmers

Hay Crops of Promise to Southern
Farmers
What crops other than the big,
ranK-grow 'rg forage crops can We
use for hay-making to advantage?
This Is a question In the minds Of
raspondence which The editor If
these columns Is receiving. 1t is
gratifying to be able to state that
there are a number Of crops which
we believe can be recommended with
advantage to The attention OF our
landowners at his time. Some of
these are quite familiar to our peo-
pie already. Others of them are rela-
lively new. The merits of all of them
have not been fully established, but
they possess a promise which is
worthy of consideration and investi-
cation. We recommend that the farm
ers who have not used any or these
crops plant some of them. on relative
ly small areas and increase the acre
az from year to year as their par
ticular value for the locality or COM
munity may be demonstrated.
Among the crops which we can
utilize. for hay production on a more re
Bermuda and Dallis grass, 1espedeza,
red top or herds grass, Johnson
grass, peanuts, beggarweed. kudzu
vine and Rhodes grass. Such DATA
as is available pertaining to these
grasses, an others not enumerateu
in the list presented above mas Tso 0G zen
assembled in this article. The In
formation was correlated by Profess
sor Tabor, of the agronomy division
of the college of agriculture: we
believe the facts brought TO ngnt are
of sufficient Importance to Warrant
their being emphasized ! as sf fn fsat
end careful summary OF the mo
ings secured relative to the merits
of these grasses has been prepareo
for the advice and Information o.
our readers.
A combination of Bermuda grass
and Dallis grass makes a good mead
ow for all wet drained normal Geor-
gia BOTTOMS The f aTe EEeady to cut
about the same time: Dallis grass
cures dark, but Bermuda makes
bright green hay. These grassy
need q. moist, rich soil free OF staho-
ing water ::
-Daflis grass and Bermuda grass
both are rather hard 10 starC IN IN
the seed and therefore require a spe
cially prepared. soil. Inc mo mos we'll ell
armed by rolling or allowing Ine
rains to settle it, Both are seeoeo
in the spring, Dallis grass at me
rate Of six pounds per acre anu E BeL
muda grass half that amount. -,
muda grass Is more Ie,n oISen T Pieces Of
Sod are taken and dropped In tne
burrows as the land is being proken
or in rows laid off and then coy
cred. In this way a good stanu -
secured by the end OF the nrsL Sea az
whan thew put up. seedheads fully.
If left longer the Bermuda grass gess
tough and the heads OF Dallls grass
are likely to become poisonous -
cattle. Three or more cuttings III o.
hay are secured in a season. + an
yields are from one TO three 'oA'
per acre.
low, damp grounds. 1t will not do
we'll. on the average dry hill soil,
but on low land will thrive where
corn and crab grass are seriously IN,
jured by wetness. 1t makes good
quality hay, maturing in the fali
suited to curing hay. -
Moist, open soils free from stand
ing water are needed by lespedeza.
If the land is inclined to run to-
gether" it should be plowed each
fall, turning the slices on edge ana
narrowing down to prevent covering
the seed too deep.
Lespedeza for hay should be seed
ed at the rate of one bushel (25
pounds) to one and a half bushels
(37.5 pounds) per acre during the
spring. On moist lands it can be
seeded on oats and after the oats
are cut the lespedeza will develop
If handled carefully a lespedeza
meadow will usually reseed itself.
Lespedeza needs to be cut in Sep
TENDER or early October before the
leaves begin to shatter. At this
stage enough seed will be matured
to reseed the area. Lespedeza hay
is easily bleached by dews so spe-
cial care should be used to keep 1t
from being exposed more than abso-
lutely necessary. 1t cures easily and
quickly due to the small stems.
Fields devoted to this crop yield
from one-half to two tons of hay
per acre, depending on their rich
ness.
Red top is well suited to the bot
tom lands in north Georgia. For
a number of years it has been pop
ular in the valleys of extreme north
Georgia and has been grown in
number of isolated places in tho
Piedmont region. For a permanent
meadow, it is worthy of wider con-
sideration. The seeds are not expen-
sive, the yields are fair and the
grass will not become a pest in cul-
tivated crops. The special require
ment Of red top is moist rich lands.
Seeding is done in the fall at the
rate of ten pounds Of recleaned seed
per acre. Special care should be