38 MISC. PUBLICATION 7 02, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



termining the most practicable system of producing market animals 

 and toward developing a cropping system that will maintain cattle in 

 satisfactory condition on grazing crops the greatest length of time 

 during the year. (1) 



From this work it has been found that a combination of black 

 medic, white clover, and Dallis grass are the best permanent pasture 

 plants for lime soils of the Black Belt (fig. 4). These pastures pro- 

 vide grazing about the middle of March and reach their peak in May 

 From early spring to July 1, clovers are dominant. After the summer 

 rains, Dallis grass causes another peak in grazing capacity. Between 

 the clover and grass peaks it is sometimes necessary to use supple- 

 mentary grazing areas. 



To supplement the permanent pasture a combination of Caley peas 



CS-ALA-D4-32 



Figuee 4. — Beef cattle on permanent pasture of white clover, black medic, and 

 Dallis grass at the Black Belt Experiment Station of Alabama. 



and Johnson grass has proved best. Caley peas, interplanted with 

 Johnson grass, come up in the fall, furnish some grazing throughout 

 the winter, and make an excellent pasture in March and April.. The 

 peas which mature and produce seed in May are left on the ground 

 to volunteer the following fall. Johnson grass volunteers following 

 the pea crop. It is grazed in July, if needed, otherwise it is cut for 

 hay as a reserve for winter roughage. The second crop of Johnson 

 grass is allowed to mature in the field. After frost, the frosted John- 

 son grass with Caley peas coming up under it furnishes good winter 

 grazing. When the grazing gets short, Johnson-grass hay is fed. 



Following this system at this substation, it has been found techni- 

 cally feasible to carry a cow and her calf the year round on 3 acres. 

 Two acres are in permanent pasture and 1 acre in supplementary pas- 

 ture and hay. 



A similar system for year-round production of feed and forage 

 has been tried in the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plains (13) . This 

 experiment utilized 2y 2 acres per cow as follows : 



1 acre of sericea lespedeza 



1 acre of kudzu 



V-2 acre of manganese bur-clover followed by grain sorghum. 



