The Bulletin. 79 



the most vital seed, because from weak, undeveloped seed a poor crop is aure 

 to result, and no amount of fertilization or cultivation is going to overcome this 

 tendency to low yields. ^. 



\Vlien Mr. ilall, of England, said "Improved seed does not count for very mucli 

 he had reference to the recent new varieties that have been tiirown on the market, 

 because most of the wheats grown in his country are improved wheals, and it 

 is as true with varieties of wheat as with varieties of corn and cotton, that the 

 careful selection of seed is absolutely necessary, not only to the highest yields 

 per acre, but to the prolongation of the life of the variety. 



The use of the breeding plat has been so often urged that it would seem scarcely 

 necessary to refer to it again, but for its very great importance in the breeding 

 of seed corn. • 



LIVE STOCK FOR NOKTH CAROLINA. 



A. L. FRENCH. 



North Carolina has been for two generations a non-live stock State. Much live 

 stock has been produced and kept on the farms of the State, of course, but except 

 in the extreme western part of the State no great attempt has been made to 

 establish a regular live stock system, and the stock kept has shown the eflects of 

 the lack of business methods in breeding and handling, the animals in general 

 showing lack of breeding in inferior type and lack of feeding in improper develop- 

 ment. "The lands of our State, as a whole, by their condition, when compared with 

 live stock producing sections, show where our farmers have made a mistake in the 

 neglect of this centuries-old method of maintaining soil fertility, and the financial 

 condition of the great mass of our farmers would indicate that tliere has been 

 something radically wrong in the methods tliey have employed in the conduct of 

 their business. We all agree that there are altogether too numy wasted, scarred 

 hillsides, too many poor country schoolhouses, too many, far too many, unpainted, 

 poor-looking dwellings housing the farmers over our State, and altogether too few 

 fine, attractive church buildings wiiere farmers meet together to worsiiip God. 

 The things I have mentioned are pretty sure indicators of tlie financial condition 

 of the farming people of a section. We all agree, I believe, that tlie soils of our 

 State must have something dune for them during this generation that has not 

 been done in the past, or they are going from bad to worse. Many thousands of 

 acres will, we believe, be redeemed only by the use of grass sods, and grass sods 

 can only be made use of profitably when live stock is kept. This is the first reason 

 I would assign why we nuist have more live stock in our State. The writer knows 

 of no hill country in America where hoed crops have been handled exclusively 

 that does not siiow plainly that poverty of soil is all abroad. The pasture is now 

 and will be for years to come the foundation upon which live stock growing must 

 be builded. There are pastures and pastures so called. Ours are mostly in the 

 latter class, and the first tiling our people nmst learn is that pastures are like 

 other crops, viz., good if grown on good land and given proper metliods of culture, 

 proper seeding and proper care. The amount of grass grown per acre and the 

 kinds of giass will be the first measure of the value of the pasture. The second 

 measure of value will be the kind and quality of animals produced. A piece of 

 land that will graze a steer per acre will produce twice tiie profit and more than 

 will a piece which aflTords feed enough for a steer on every two acres. The greater 

 productivity is brought about by clearing the land of every plant except such as 

 produce good nutritious stock food. After a field is once carefully grubbed, only 

 a little labor is required to keep it clean if that labor is applied at the proper 

 time. If the piece of land grazing a steer per acre is handled by a scrub steer 

 that will sell at three cents per pound, that piece of land is producing only one- 

 half the wealth that it would produce were the steer of correct beef type, such as 

 are selling at six cents per pound. Tlie same rule applies to the dairy cow, or any 

 other animal. A pound of growth costs no more feed on a $200 horse than it does 

 on a $100 animal, of the same age. So the kind of an animal has worlds to do 



