The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1922-02-16
Lespedeza AS a Substitute For
Cotton.

greatest legumes, is the title of al
interesting. article prepared for tn
Lespedeza Seed Growers Coopera
tive Assn, Inc, by DR., r. e Lewis
B aims, Louisiana, prominen
farmer who is specializing in tn
growing of this profitable crop.
While the name, Lespedeza, wa
supposed to have been given thi
plant by botanists in 1900; it wa
not.until 1880 that it received tht
attention its merits warranted, as
commercial farm product, unde
the development of Col. ]. B. Nc
Gehee, of Laurel Hill Louisiana
VIII o recognized its value as a feec
for farm animals and as a sol
builder, and who sang its praises
for years. Its place in southern
agriculture is due largely to Col
McGehee, says DR.. Lewis.
Lespedeza-is an annual, maturing
its seed in the fall which shatter
readily and reseed the ground foi
the coming year. Normally, these
seeds which shatter off at maturing
time remain dormant until the
warmth and moisture germinste
them. 1t is the practice to plan
from February Is to May l.
The stems and branches of the
Lespedeza plant are slender and the
leaves small but very numerous.
* good crop will grow to the height
Of Is to Is inches, and on fertile
soils 80 inches is not unknown. 1t
is estimated that a good stand OF
Lespedeza will represent a ton of
hay for each 6 inches of its growth
This plant will grow on almost
any of the types of soil in the cotton
belt, but of course like most other
plants does best on a more fertile,
we'll drained soil 1t is thought
that no plant is more suitable to
follow cotton, as Lespedeza brings
the soil back to its former state OF
fertility.
The custom of seeding Lespedeza
with oats has become more or less
a fixed habit among the producers,
as the oats, by virtue of its shade
keeps down weeds and grasses and
allowseIhe Lespedeza to make rapid
growth. However. just az good
crops can be produced when the
seed is sown alone; but seeding with
oats has the advantage of giving
the PLANTER two crops from the
same ground during the year, with
but one cost of cultivation. Ex
perience indicates that one bushel
of seed (25 lbs per acre is about
the right amount to be planted 1t
requires no incubation as the rough
little jackets containing the seeds
carry enough from the fields from
which they are taken to insure per-
feet incubation.
No special soil preparation neces-
sary, although it has been demon
strated beyond doubt that soils
well supplied with phosphates will
produce the greatest growth.
The method of harvesting the hay
Twill deperd somewhat on the grade
of hay desired. in any event the
chief eff rt should be directed to
the preservation OF the leaves upon
the stem as they Constitute a great
part of the feeding value. Cutting
is not started until the plants are.
in full bloom, and the hay should
not be cut while the dew is on or
while wet from rain.
Little need be said in favor of
Lespedeza hay as a feed for all
kinds OF stock after looking at the
following comparative analyses:
Timothy contains 2 s percent pr :
tein, 2S.3 percent carbohydrates and
A percent fats. Lespedeza CON
tains 7.6 percent protein, 80 per
cent carbohydrates and s percent
fats. As compared with other
legume hays it has the advantage
Of being free from woody growth,
permitting its entire consumption
and is free from the extreme laxa-
tive properties which make some
legume hays undesirable for work
stock.
When used as a pasture with
other grasses it helps to make a
balanced ration and should be
found in every pasture in the Sonth
thinks Dr. Lewis. AS a soil builder
it ranks with other legumes.
The Lespedeza Seed Growers
Cooperative Association, Inc, of
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has done
much in the way of standardiz:ng
the seed and seed prices, also in dis
seminal. .ng information in connec-
ton with the best known methods of
cultivation and harvesting Accord
ling to reports sent out from the
office OF the Association, orders for
more than oae third of the seed
pooled have been received This
was on January 2S, 1929, at which
| time the eel market had hardly
opened.