The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-03-01
BETTER PASTURES FOR
SOUTH CAROLINA

Sonaes farmers Of South Carolina
attempt 10 solve the pasture prob
lem by fencing some Of the waste
land on the farm and calling it a
pasture. In this Kind Of pasture
rhe stock get plenty OF exercise and
a small amount of grazing. Since
the boil weevil has invaded the
state it behooyes every farmer to
consider those things that will en-
able him to live at home" first OF
ALL Milk and butter and pork and
beef can not be produced at a low
cost without good permanent pas
lures. There tare. a few. pasture
plants that have been tried out in
this state and have proved that
with a reasonable, amount of prep
aration a good permanent pasture
is both possible. and practicable. a
combination Of grasses and legunes
is TO be preferred 10 any single
grass, since it will give more con-
tinuous grazing, a greater variety
and a better balanced food ration.
The best pastures will be produc-
ed on the low moist soils and the
seepy hillsiaes. 1t is true that most
of the low iands are needed to grow
corn and other field crops; how
ever, there are many: acres of land
under cultivation where crops are
desroyed by overflow and water
logging but where grass would sur
wye. There are also many acres
OF land in timber, bushes. and
broom -sedge that could be cleared
and put into permanent !. pasture.
The thin, dry, unproductive hill
sides can not be expected TO main
tain successfully good pasture
sod until they have been built up
by heavy applications. OF manure
or by growing a few crops OF vel
vet beans or cowpeas and plowipg
these under before seeding the
grasses. If these hillsides have
never been cultivated and it is not
pra cticable to clear them, they may
be included in the pasture TO fur
ilish necessary shade for the stock.
Uplands and hillsides of fair fertil-
sty will. furnish more OR less graz
ing throughout the year but because
Of droughts will not furnish the de-
pendable grazing that the low
moist land will furnish. For this
reason it is, best 10 develop the. low
lands first.
Preparation Of Land.
Plenty of sunshine is essential
to the growth Of our best pasture
plants. This fact makes it nee.
essary to clear the land of native
grasses. bushes. and trees. The
larger trees may be girdled and
allowed to die, the small trees and
bushes cut and piled, and the na-
tive grasses ,burne.!- Off some time
during the winter or. early spring.
when. dry enough. In the case OF
carpet grass and lespedeza, no fur.
tiaer preparation is necessary on
low moist land. If plowing is nee
essary to destroy native grasses and
weed growth. it should be. done far.
enough in advance TO allow rains to
settle the sod and make a firm.
seed bed. When conditions make
it necessary TO plow shortly before
seeding. the land should be rolled.
Grass seed are SO small that when
they are planted on a loose seed
bed the roots of tia young plan1s
are unable 10 growsdeap enough TO
secure moisture before the plants
die; ~
Seeding.
!, For pla MS discussed in. this ar
ticlesonly spring seedingsis advised.
The best time is during the months
of February zand March: The diff
fereYt grass and legume seed may
be sown separately or mixed and.
sown together. For sowing broad
cast a small hand seeder will prob
ably distribute them more evenly
over the field II no seeder is avail
able and the work Is to be done by
hand. it is a good idea to. SOW half
the seed across the; field in one dl-.
rection and the other half at right
angles to the first. In case the Land
has. been plowed and prepared, the
seed may be covered lightly With
harrow, weeder. or. brush. On: new
" cleared land that has not been
plowed it will not be necessary TO
cover the seed.
Grasses and Lesumes to Use.
The grasses and legumes de-
scribed in the following para
graphs have proved that they are
adapted to South Carolina soil and
climatic conditions. They are
found growing in small areas in
different sections of the, state nnder
adverse conditions. When given
the chance they deserve they have
proved their value az permanent
pasture plants.
Lcspedeza.
Lespedeza or Japan clover ues-
pedesa striata) is self-seeding
annual legunle. q native OF eastern
Asia. Like Alfalfa and other le-
gumes, it has. the power TO draw
nitrogen from the air. 1t is rel
ished by all classes Of livestock. In
some cases il may cause siobber-
ing, but this is not a serious OBJ
lection, since slobbering ceases at
ter few days when the animals
have become accustomed to 1t. II
is valuable addition 10 any pas
ture because of palatability and it's
high feeding value, which ap-
proaches that of alfalfa. 1t fur