The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-24
SOY BEAN, GRASS
PLANTING URGED
Will Provide Palatable, Nutri-
tious pasture For Cattle
Until October
BY GLADYS BEST TRIP


July will provide a palatable and
nutritious pasture for cattle until
October, advises Hugh MacRae, of
Wilmington
In his continuous grazing pro.
gram for rebuilding the south with
green pastures all year round, Mac
Rae puts nigh emphasis on this
combination of Sudan grass and
soy beans for summer and early
fall pasturage. When the soy beans
r three inches high the Sudan
grass is planted in a parallel row
four inches from the soy beans.
The rows of soy beans are SO inches
apart.
This crop of soy beans and Su-
dan grass is one of the annual
crops that MacRae uses rather
than the so-called permanent pas
lures, and thus has cut the cost
of raising both dairy and beef cat
tie to less than one-half the regu-
lar cost. The soy beans and Sudan
grass will come back five times
and provide as many CRAVINGS, or
planted in separate fields will give
seven tons silage to the acre OF
soy beans.
Both Sudan grass and Soy beans
grow well on any properly ferti-
liked loan soil, especially when
the winter pasture has had a CO.
yer crop of crimson clover. After
the cows have finished grazing on
this crimson clover all through the
winter months, MacRae has it
plowed under to enrich the soil.
Thus by combining the summer
and winter seasons one acre will
give at least 1865 grazing days.
The Sudan grass and soy beans
because of their deep root sys-
TENS thrive even in the hottest
days when the permanent" pas
lures r suffering from the dry
weather. The crop should be cult
waited one or two times, or until
the Sudan grass plants shade the
ground. About six weeks after
planting the crop is ready for graz
ing. The grass should be about two
feet high before the COWS r turn
ed on it, and then there is practi-
cally no danger Of the cows graz
ing the crop too closely. This in
sures against losing any cow graz
ing days.
An acre of Biloxi soy beans and
Sudan grass will give 200 c w
grazing days at a total cost of
less than six dollars. Soy b e a n
seed (Biloxi) will cost about $1.25;
Sudan grass seed 80 cents tfrcm
10 to Is pounds at five cents per
pound; prepared fertilizer $3.50;
cultivation rs cents; and labor for
pulling up weeds about so cents.
This same acre can be used for
silage if the first crop of soy
beans is cut with a orn binder
to a foot in height to make the
molasses silage. In twenty days
the crop will be grazable and offer
four grazing times as well as
providing the molasses sjlage.
Then bur clover and crimson clo-
yer may be planted in between the
rows for outside winter grazing.
Annual pastures such as Sudan
grass and soy beans provide two to
four times more green forage to
the acre than permanent pastures.
Also the North Louisiana expert
mental station has proved that Su-
dan grass gives 1876 per cent more
milk per COW daily than the regu-
lar Bermuda grass pasture.
Hay from either Sudan grass or
soy beans is very nutritious. When
Sudan grass is planted in a sepa-
rate field, its fine stems cure read
lily. The preferred method is to cut
the grass with a binder and shock
within a few hours as remaining
on the ground makes Sudan grass
difficult to cure.
Soy beans silage put up with
molasses for necessary fermenta-
ton gives more milk per acre than
corn and there is no drop in milk
production when the cows r ia
ken off outside grazing and put
on silage. Unless the soy beans
are cut before they bloom in or
der to use the same field for both
siiage and four times grazing, the
Soy beans should be put up in the
soft dough stage of maturity. Then