Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1931-11-05
LESPEDEZA TAKES
IMPORTANT PLACE
Plant Expected To Play
Important Part In Help
ing Farmers Of South;
Proves Valuable.

Charlottesville tremendously i'm
portant place which the several varie-
ties of lespedeza will have in the
changing farm policy of the SOUTH
eastern states in the opinion of agri-
cultural authorities, has just been en-
phasized by an exhaustive visit to a
number of North and South Carolina
and Georgia counties by DR.. A. ].
Peters, principal garonomist of the
bureau of plant industry, United States
department of agriculture, and his as
s%istant, DR.. E. A. Hollowell. This tour
IF inspection covered a large number
of counties in these three states where
advanced work has been done with
lespedeza and which have already felt
a marked impetus in their agriculture
through the use of this crop, the real
value of which is just beginning TO be
appreciated.
DR.. Peters and DR.. Hollowell, dur
ing their visit of inspection through
this section, studied the behavior Of
the various species of lespedeza under
all sorts of field and pasture condi-
tons. They were interested in the suit
ability of the various species for pas
ture, for forage, and for soil improve
ment. They were keenly interested in
the seeding habits, results from va
rious dates and methods of seeding,
and in every practice that has been
successful in the handling of the crop
in any of its phases.
For years the bureau of plant in
dustry has been searching for a crop
that would fill the place in the south
eastern states which alfalfa fills in the
states to the west where alfalfa grows
as readily as crab grass does in the
southeast. Such a crop must be acid
tolerant. 1t musn be productivity on or
binary land. 1t must have good seed
ing habits. These authorities believe
that in the various species of lespe-
deza this crop has been found. AS a
matter of fact DR.. Peters stated that
not only should lespedeza be supplying
all of the requirements of this section
for a legume hay but that this section
should be exporting thousands of tons
of high grade lespedeza hay to New
England and the east, which will
probably continue indefinitely to i'm
port legume hay. However, even the
production at home of all the hay
that we are using would result in the
saving of millions upon millions of
dollars by each of the Carolinas, both
of which are still importing thousands
of tons of alfalfa from western states.
Among the counties in the Caro-
linas that were visited by DR.. Peters
and DR.. Hollowell were Mecklenburg,
Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly, Union, Gas
ton and Iredell in North Carolina, and
Chester, York, ~Spartanburg and other
counties in South Carolina.
One Of the most interesting features
of the visit of DR.. Peters and DR..
Hollowell to this section was their in
spection of the tests with lespedeza
s%ericea, the now perennial species of
lespedeza, on the Lucas farm in Neck
lenburg county. This test plot was
planted in the spring of 1880 and
those who observed it last year were
tremendously impressed with the pos
sibilities of this new crop which, above
all others, promises to be to this sec
ton what alfalfa is to the western
states. If the crop made a good i'm