The Lexington advertiser., 1944-06-01
+tiyesioek Producers
Should Develop Pasture

JiIUutu UCvCIVP I0SIutC
With the drouth in l94S reducing the
grain and feed production in Mississippi
to such an extent that 1t has been cause
for alarm for many months, livestock
production, !. W. Carson, county agent,
said this week.
Provisions Of the AAA program have
been used extensively to this end he
reported, with the winter grazing prac-
tice particularly being broadly used
throughout the state as a means Of
carrying the livestock production.
This practice in itself, according to
an Extension Service survey, has prob
ably more than any other one thing
been responsible for exceeding milk
goals notwithstanding earlier estimates
Of rs percent decrease.
The total cattle on farms of the ma
tion January 1, 1914 was 82,l92 900
head, the greatest in history. 1t is more
than 10 percent larger than the prev
ious cycle peak Of 74,369, 600 head on
January /, 1884.
Washington authorities believe that
in order to balance our livestock num-
bers with prospective feed, 1t will be
| necessary to slaughter more than 49,
100000 head of cattle in the calendar
year 1914, as compared to 27,3O0.0O0
head slaughtered in 1943.
With Mississippi showing 4 percent
increase over 1943, or 1888 900 head of
cattle on farms as Of January 1. and a
~ percent increase in hogs, livestock
producers in the state will have to as
sumo their share of the responsibility
OF balancing their livestock numbers
with their feed production. s
Assistance offered by the AAA
through its pasture practices, practical
ly unlimited lime program, phosphate
and basic Stag applied to pastures and
legume hay, can still be taken advantage
OF by farmers to meet the emergency
at hand.
All agricultural leadership including
livestock associations are convinced
that every livestock producer must give
additicnaI emphasis to feed production.
lincrseaed marketing, and orderly mar
keting Of cattle in 1914, rather than the
normal seasonal marketing which has
the result Of overtaxing slaughter facil-
| tiles.
Pasture grasses, clovers and legume
seed crops were visited last Friday. af-
ternoon by more than 80 farmers Of the
Coxburg community as guests of the
agricultural workers and citizens of
Lexington.
On the Henri P. Watson farm west of
Lexington on the Lexington Howard
road, It was pointed out by the owner
that he had converted a cotton farm of
five or six years ago to livestock farm.
which is proving to be a much more
profitable project With the exception
Of six acres Of cotton, and few acres
In corn and sorghum, all of the 700
acres in this farm are used for grow
ing white dutch clover, oats and pasture
grasses with the exception Of a small
acreage growing pine timber. In other
words, the operator is handling this
farm with one tenant family at great
er profit than when 1t was operated
with or tenants growing cotton, corn
and hay.
After pasturng 35 acres of white
dutch clover per acre. Following the
combine, the litter left will be raked
and stacked for feeding cattle during
the winter. This acreage will be thor
oughly seeded to white dutch clover the
coming season, which will again serve
as a grazing crop and as cash seed
crop.
Across the road an improved pasture
was studied which has been carrying
more than one grown COW per acre dur
ing the past or three months. The
pasture grasses and clover seen were
daliis, bermuda, carpet and cheat. Glow
ers We're. white dutch, common, hap and
red, while some wild winter meas were
found all over the pasture.
The success of this farming adventure
is due largely to applications of acid
phosphate and lime when needed. The
moving machine plays a big part in
keeping tough grass and weeds TO a
minimum.
The quality of cattle has been eradu.
ally brought up to an excellent herd
from native cows and good registered
white face bulls.
On the Thompson and Carroll farm
north of Lexington on the Acona road.
ing are visiting relatives at Camden this
week.