DOMESTIC ANIMALS 285 



domestic animals that play so important a part in all 

 farm economy. A full discussion of this subject as 

 it applies to the South and to the tropics would, 

 however, require a separate volume or rather a series 

 of volumes. Space here will only permit of a few 

 general remarks and considerations. 



Climatic conditions favor animal husbandry at the 

 South, since expensive shelters are not required and 

 pasturage and other green forage can be furnished 

 for the greater part of the year, thus avoiding the 

 necessity for curing and storing large quantities of 

 hay. It is true that the familiar Northern pasture 

 and hay grasses cannot be successfully grown, but 

 there are many others to take their places. Ber- 

 muda is as good as bluegrass for permanent pastures, 

 while cowpeas, vetch, crab grass, and Johnson grass 

 can be made to take the place of timothy and clover 

 for hay. Under these circumstances it is an eco- 

 nomic anomaly that the South has been for so long 

 a time dependent on the North for her supply of 

 horses and mules, beef, butter, lard, and pork, when 

 as a matter of fact she might be producing them 

 cheaper than is possible in the regions from which 

 they are imported. This condition has probably 

 largely come from the pernicious system of annual 

 leases that prevails so widely throughout the cot- 

 ton belt. The poor ignorant negro farm hands are 

 usuallv each allotted a certain number of acres to be 

 cultivated on shares. As cotton is the chief money 

 crop, he is required to plant it all in cotton and is 

 furnished a mule and is given credit at the store for 

 his meal and pork. He has no incentive for building 



