GRASS DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE SOUTH. 



The accompanying correspondence, dealing with the subject of 

 demonstrations in grass culture, is submitted as showing the interest 

 in this kind of work in South Carolina. It is published by direction 

 of the Honorable Secretary, who for years has advocated the pro- 

 duction of grass and legumes as a step toward greater diversification 

 of crops and the increase of animal husbandry in the Southern 

 States. 



MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY. 



Dear Mr. Secretary: You may be interested in the efforts being 

 made to encourage the production of grass as a feature of stock raising 

 in South Carolina. Last spring Mr. W. W. Long, of our Farmers' 

 Cooperative Demonstration Work, inaugurated a series of demon- 

 strations in portions of the Piedmont region to show the possibilities 

 of grass and hay production. He took up the work with 100 different 

 farmers, inducing each of them to make an acre demonstration with 

 grass. The predominant industry of this section is cotton raising and 

 not a great deal of interest is taken in live stock. Each farmer put 

 out an acre of grass under the direction of Mr. Long. The land was 

 thoroughly plowed, a ton of lime to the acre was applied, and, in 

 addition, 400 pounds of fertilizer used. The fertilizer consisted of 200 

 pounds of acid phosphate and 200 pounds of ground bone. The acid 

 phosphate cost $12 a ton and the ground bone $29 a ton, which would 

 make the cost of the 400 pounds of fertilizer $4.10. The lime cost 

 about $5 a ton. The farmers furnished all the work, the lime, and the 

 fertilizer. The grass seed was furnished from cooperative funds. 

 The most successful mixture for hay in this section of the South is 

 found to be one made of orchard grass, tall meadow oat-grass, Italian 

 rye-grass, and red clover. A half bushel each of orchard grass, tall 

 meadow oat-grass, and Italian rye-grass, and 10 pounds of red-clover 

 seed were sown to the acre. This very heavy seeding was believed to 

 be necessary in order to insure a good stand. We have been using 

 this mixture for some time on the Arlington Experimental Farm with 

 good success, cutting as high as 2J and 3 tons of hay to the acre. 



The work in South Carolina has been very satisfactory, practically 

 all of the 100 farmers having a fine crop of hay this season. From 

 all indications, some of these plats will cut 2h to 4 tons per acre. So 

 much interest has been aroused in the matter that farmers are now 

 preparing to put out 2 additional acres, making 3 acres in all. They 

 have found by this demonstration that they can grow enough hay 



1 Issued Jan. IS, 1913. 

 [Cir. 110] 3 



