WILL MORE FORAGE PAY 



40 





UbDA 6625 



Figube 0. — This North Carolina grass and legume pasture was improved mate- 

 rially by the application of lime, phosphate, and potash. 



FARM F 



Farm F. in the Piedmont, Lee County, Ala., was a cotton farm until 

 3 years ago. The records show C>-1- acres in cotton in 1941. None has 

 been grown since 1945 and the operator says he will not grow cotton 

 again. He has about 50 cows; milks G or 8 to keep his small grade A 

 dairy in operation. The cattle enterprise is not a new one; he kept 25 

 to 30 cows while growing cotton. The major land use is about as 

 follows: Alfalfa. 5 acres; sericea lespedeza. 60 acres; crimson clover, 

 12 acres; corn, 20 acres; kudzu, 20 acres: grain sorghum. 12 acres: 

 (ruck. 2 acres; orchard, 2 acres; permanent pasture, 100 acres; wood- 

 land pasture, 349 acres. 



The operator of farm F expected to add 10 acres of alfalfa in Sep- 

 tember 1948. He planted his first alfalfa in 1942. His 5 acres at that 

 time made a total of 14 acres in the county. There are 775 acres in 

 Lee County now. He planted his sericea during the war. Because he 

 had no labor he had to sow the land to something. He likes sericea 

 but considers alfalfa the best all-round dairy feed. It can be used as 

 hay or pasture — both of which are good. 



The operator cuts 15 to 20 acres of sericea for hay. Yields are about 

 half a ton per acre the first cutting. The second cutting is combined 

 for seed. Some of the seed is sold, some planted. The 5 acres of 

 alfalfa yield 1 ton an acre per cutting, with from two to four cuttings. 



Oats are planted for fall and winter grazing, crimson clover for 

 spring grazing, kudzu for summer dry spells, and sericea for the prin- 

 cipal grazing. The 100 acres of other pasture consist of hop clover. 

 bur clover, Dallis grass, carpet grass, and white Dutch clover. 



