FERTILITY IN THE SOUTH. 139 



ful factor in building up the soils of the agricultural communities 

 of this vast region." 



In summing up the foregoing chapter, therefore, it will be gen- 

 erally conceded that the cheapest and most effective method of 

 helping to build up the soil and to maintain It in a good state of 

 fertilitj- is to follow a good rotation, grow plenty of legumes and 

 .apply the barnyard manure to the land. Their value in building 

 up the soil is one of the strongest reasons for keeping live stock. 

 The grain and roughage is fed on the farm and the stock give 

 it back to the land in fertilizer.' The farmer who hauls his 

 grain and hay to market must obtain fertilizer from some other 

 source and this is often costly. ■ Now, if the keeping of live stock 

 is a good thing for the farm, any system that permits double i./ 

 triple the number of live stock to be kept on the same acreage 

 is naturally much better. THE SILAGE SYSTEM DOES JUST 

 THAT. 



