Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. ‘I sTATms JAN 1 3 iM/jo FILE BULLETIN NO. 41 APRIL 1936 - " f Can Live Stock Be Raised Profitably In Alabama? j Second Edition January 194^0 By GEORGE W. CARVER, M. S. , D. Sc. Director EXPERIMENTAL STATION TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE Tuskegee Institute, Alabama TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE PRESS 1940 CAN LIVE STOCK KE RAISED PROFITABLY IN ALABAMA? By G. VV. Carver. M. S. Agr.; I). Sc.; Director I am confident that no other time has been more favorable thaii the present for every farmer in Alabama to think seriously and constructively along this line, asking himself the following ques- tions. (I feel equally sure that with the facts before him he will have little or no trouble in deciding w’hat course to take.) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS No. 1. Is live stock necessary to successful farming? Yes, absolutely. For centuries a good, well-cared for cow was recognized as half of any family’s living, by; a. Furnishing all the milk, butter, cream, etc., the ordinary family , can use, and if properly cared for a surplus can be had to sell. b. In addition to the above she should produce a calf every year. c. According to Brooks, this cow will consume 25 pounds of dry matter per day, which means as a by-product, 96 pounds of manure daily, having an average composition per 1,000 pounds as follows: COMPOSITION OF 1,000 POUNDS OF FRESH EXCREMENTS Watei* Nitrogen Phosphoric Alkalies Animal Pounds Pounds Acid Pounds Pounds Cow 840 3.0 2.5 1.0 Hog 800 6.0 4.5 5.0 Sheep 580 7.5 6.0 3.0 Horse 760 5.0 3.5 3.0 Hen 52.35 0.99 0.74 0.25 Duck 56.60 1.0 1.40 0.620 Goose 77.10 0.55 0.54 0.95 d. The above table shows that what is true of the cow is similarly true of other farm animals in varying proportions. e. It is easy to see that our farm animals are great fertilizer factories, turning out the cheapest and best known product for the permanent building up of the soil. In addition to this farm yard manure there are also many' thousands of tons of the finest fertilizers going to waste all over the South in the form of decaying leaves of the forest and the rich sediment of the swamp, known as “muck.” Every idle moment should be put in gathering up these fertilizers. Make the mixture (compost) as follows: 1. Build pen to hold as much as you wish. 2. Spread two wagon-loads of muck and leaves over the bottom -_3-~ of the pen; then one load of barn yard manure; build up in this wa,y until the pen is full, 3. Put a rough shed over the pen sufficient to turn the bulk of rhe water from heavy rains, or mound up like a potato hill. This will prevent the excess of water from washing out the readily water soluble fertilizing constituents. 4. Put into this compost-heap all the wood ashes, old plaster, waste iime, rags, paper, and any matter that will decay quickly. Bones beaten up fine are also excellent. If you cannot get the barnyard manure make the compost without it. You will be agreeably sur- prised at the increased yield of crops of all kinds. Caution. Do not allow this compost-heap to become hot enough for steam to rise from it (“fire fang”), as you will lose much of the value of the manure. If the pile begins to heat and give off a strong odor, tear down at once and scatter dry earth, leaves, or something of this kind amongst it. 5. Break land deep, if possible, (8 to 9 inches) and thoroughly; lay off rows with a middle-burster or two-horse plow; put compost in drill at the rate of 20 tons to the acre on medium land, and 25 tons to the acre on very poor land; plant directly on the fertilizer; cultivate in the usual manner. How to Build a Pasture If a pasture is desired, I know of nothing better than the following methods submitted by our expert landscape gardner, D. A. Willis- .on, v^ho is making both lawns and pastures, whenever the season permits: “Plow the area with a two-horse plow. After plowing, apply pul- verizjed Ifmestone at the rate of 2000 lbs. per acre on soils deficient in lime, and disc land well. Harrow and di;ag until a firm seed bed IS formed. “The last of September or the middle of October the following- mixture can be sown per acre: 5 lbs. of Dallas grass 1 lbs. of White Dutch clover 5 lbs, of Alsike clover 10 lbs. of Burr clover 10 lbs. of Lespedeza “F^ifty pounds of Italian Bye grass may be added if planted in the fall. “The Lespedeza should be sown in the spring. The entire mixture could be sown in early spring. The Dallas grass should be sown separately and raked in; and just before rolling, the clovers should be so'\A’Ti. — 4~ Hin Sides — Spring Planting “The entire area should be cleaned of undergrowth, and plowed 8 to 10 inches deep. After plowing and before discing, the following- should be added per acre: 2000 lbs. of lime stone (pulverized rock) 15 tons of manure, which will alternate with 800 lbs. of commercial fertilizer composed of: 4 % Nitrogen hot highly soluble 8 % Phosphate not highly soluble 10 % Potash “The land should be thoroughly disced, harrowed, and dragged. Then lay off rows with a scooter plow 2 feet apart, and plant heavily Bermuda grass roots. Cover the grass roots well, and before rolling, sow the following per acre: 4 lbs. of White Clover 4 lbs. of Alsike Clover 10 lbs. of Lespedeza “Five pounds of Dallas grass may be added to the hill side plant- ing, but should be sown just before the rows are run for the Ber- muda grass planting. “The hill side planting should be done in the early spring in this locality, (March). “In the fall, September or October, Italian Rye grass should be sown on the Bermuda sod at the rate of 60 lbs. per acre, and after sowing, a disc harrow should be run over the entire area once.” Well-stocked land, with the manures carefully saved and judicious- ly returned to the soil, wdl increase its productivity every year until the maximum is reached. Experimental data bears us out in the assertion that Alabama, with its highly responsive soils, mild climate, and liberal rainfall, has almost unlimited possibilities in live stock and crop production. No. 2, Can Alabama Produce Crops Suitable for Making the Best Kinds of Balanced Rations for Stock? Yes. Not only for stock, but for the human family as well, giving to each group the ideal amount of vigor and strength. The following foodstuffs can be grown with ease in Alabama, and with good pasture, several packing plants should be furnished D yearly supply of produce to pack. The table below gives the percentage composition of some of our leading grains, grasses, and forage plants with which every wide- awake, progressive faimer is familial'. COMPOSITION AND DIGESTIBILITY OF FODDER AND GRAIN ARTICLES O) -u o oc CO O O O C 00 03 'C)< CD LO ao OQ -M P CD X c3 (M oq CD 1—1 p !>; cq p LO p tq i-H O ^2 ?-i oi CD 00 O CD tH d CO CD CD d Ph +> CO CO CD I>- CO (M >o LO 03 03 CO 'Ct o o o p CO 1—1 Oi p CD 03 bX) CO CO CD* (M* d CD* d oi CO tH CO 1 — i CO CD c3 CO (M f-1 (M CD (M 7—i o o 00 CM Cvj O o O O «:> ci 00 (M CM CO CO o o 00 CM ^ C:- O CO uo CO CM r-H O (M CO CD O o o O O CO D) ^ (M 00 CO CO CD 00 OC ^ CD 3 ^ o ^ ^ ^ - ojO ^ O) ? rH T3 -S CJ i:; cu cu Q s ^ ^ -2 - ^ ^'1 - c -d: -c p o Oh Cl, 0 0 0 0^0 cq ^iti^ci.OhCI.coc/2 >-. aS a; IS > O) ^ o> a; m ^ —6— COMPOSITION AND DIGESTIBILITY OF FODDER AND GRAIN ARTICLES (Continued) 1-0 O lo o o 1-H 05 O O ^ CO 05 CO LO 00 T— I CO 05 CO 00 oi cd oq T-l rH o o GO CO i-H lO O >0 LO (M O] O CO to LO 00 tH 05 GO 01 T-I

A-. CO •r-l O O >' -t-i> Ph Or- es P rp; ^ S OT > > O I ElElb W o W p p- M QS c3 ^ bf) r- © ^ o -p w bf) P IS 00 p -M © cc ^ .ii bx) ;p' o CO O p M tn P ex _ W p P p -P +j ojC' P o ^ U1 w- ■7— Cow pexi vine hay 5 8.94 16.47 27.21 43.96 3.42 (Water free) Sweet potato vines 10.01 12;26 25.55 47.89 4.29 (Water free) >JOTE: The above table on “Fodder and Grain Articles,” in the main, is a compilation of analytical data from almost every ex- periment station in the South, for which I acknowledge thanks. All who believe that Alabama is adapted to cotton growing only, need but study the figures below to be thoroughly convinced that cotton is just one of the many crops for which Alabama soils are especially adapted. The following interesting and valuable data was furnished by The Transportation Bureau Montgomery Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery, Alabama. This data should give the greatest encouragement to every farmer in Alabama, as these figures show in a very pronounced way that we can grow an abundance of foodstuffs suitable for making a com- mercial mixture comparable to any now on the market. Investigations prove that what is true of Alabama applies to the entire South to a greater or less degree. “These statistics were compiled from Government Bulletins of the Department of Commerce, Fifteenth Census, 1930, First and Second Series.” In 1930, the state’s production was: Corn 35,683,874 Bushels Velvet Beans 716,238 Bushels Soy Beans 41,312 Bushels Peanuts 4,813,352 Bushels Cow Peas 312,597 Bushels Alfalfa 6,050 Tons Sweet Sorghum Syrup 1,356,484 Gallons Sweet Potatoes 6,601,503 Bushels Glancing at the above figures on these eight major crops it is easy to see how greatly production could be increased by bringing the soil back to its virgin fertility. No. 3. How can this be done, or how shall the farmer with one horse, mule, or ox, begin, with practically no tools and a soil recog- nized as literally worn out (non-productive)? Of all the puzzling problems this one is possibly the most vexing, yet it is simple if just these few points are observed, 1. Read carefully the suggestions for the making of compost; fol- low them as nearly as possible. 2. Prepare the soil as recommended, if you can, but plow from 5 to 6 inches if you can do no better at the beginning. Pulverize the seed bed thoroughly. 3. Plant crops first that will feed both yourself and your stock; such as, corn cowpeas, sweet potatoes, and by all means have a good garden. —8— 4. Save the manure from every animal on the farm. Every idle moment should be spent raking- up and hauling out leaves, muck, etc., from the woods and swamps. Keep the compost pile full, as already suggested. 5. Turn under a covering of weeds, grasses, etc, as often as you can get them. If the above suggestions are faithfully carried out, within a few years your soil will be brought up to the maximum in fertility and stock raising will become a recognized necessity rather than a mooted question as it is now, G. W. Carver, Director Research and Experiment Station Tuskegee Institute, Ala. ADDENDA The large number of letters that have come to my desk, plus the great number of persons who make personal calls in the interest of :stock raising, leads me to believe that a few ideal rations will be of distinct value to any one who contemplate going into the business of stock raising, either for dairying or for meat. I have selected the followfng information from various Experiment Stations and noted stock men who have successfully fed our South- ern grown foodstuffs. In using any of the following rations it can be readily seen by con- sulting the table showing the “Composition and Digestibility of Fodder and Grain Articles,’' how easy it is to make correct substi- tutions with your own particular foodstuffs, bearing in mind also that the food should be reduced or increased in accordance with the increase or decrease of the live weight of the animal. RATIONS FOR MILCPI COWS’ PER 1000 POUNDS LIVE WEIGHT No. 1— Florida Station Pounds Crab grass hay 20 Corn srover 12 Corn meal 3 Cotton seed meal 3 No. 2 Corn meal 4 Wheat bran ; 4 Cotton seed meal 4 Pea vine hay 15 No. 3 Cow pea hay 20 Cotton seed hulls 15 Cotton seed meal 2 No. 4 Cow pea hay 25 <^orn meal 4 No. 5 Sweet, potatoes 25 Corn fodder 10 Cotton seed meal 4 Corn meal 8 No. 6 Cow pea hay 20 Wheat bran 6 Sweet potatoes 10 No. 7 Corn fodder 18 Wheat bran 4 Cotton seed meal 4 Corn meal 6 No. 8 — North Carolina Station Corn silage 30 Fodder corn 8 Corn meal 3 Bran 3 Cotton seed meal 1 No. 9 — Wisconsin Station Corn silage 30 Hay 8 Corn fodder 5 Oats 4 Pea meal 2 No. 10 — Canada Station Pounds Corn silage 40 Hay 5 Straw 5 Bran 4 V2 Oats 41^ No. 11 Corn silage 45 Hay 5 Bran 5 Cotton seed meal 3 No. 12 Corn silage 30 Hay 12 Ground oats 10 No. 13 — Tuskegtee Institute Station Corn cob shucks 100 Wheat bran 200 Cotton seed meal 150 Linseed meal 80 No. 14 Velvet beans 250 Corn cob shucks 100 Wheat bran 100 Cotton seed meal 200 Linseed meal 80 NOTE: To rations Nos. 13 and 14 minerals are added at the follow- ing rates: Bone meal 2 lbs. pei- 100 lbs. of grain Ground limestone . 1 lb. per 100 lbs. of grain Common salt 1 lb. per 100 lbs. of grain RATIONS FOR BEEF CATTLE PER 1000 POUNDS LIVE WEIGHT No. 1 — Florida Station Pounds Sweet potatoes 25 Corn fodder 10 Cotton seed 5 Corn meal 10 No. 2 Corn fodder 20 Corn and cob meal 12 Cow peas (seed) 8 —11— No. 3 Pounds Cotton seed hulls 25 Corn meal 8 Cotton seed meal 5 No. 4 Corn cob meal 15 Cow peas 10 Crab-grass hay 10 RATIONS’ FOR HORSES OR MULES AT HARD WORK, PER 1000 POUNDS LIVE WEIGHT No. 1 — Florida Station Cow pea hay 15 Oats (grain) 18 No. 2 Corn fodder 10 Oats (Grain) * 15 Cow peas (grain) 4 No. 3 Corn fodder 13 Corn meal 11 Cotton seed meal 3 — 12—