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



tion did not exceed that of plants from unfertilized plots on Decatur 

 clay loam at the Tennessee Valley substation {23). There are striking 

 differences within a single State. What is the situation from State to 

 State throughout the South? 



The Bureau of Dairy Industry, at its dairy field experiment station 

 near Lewisburg, Tenn., conducted an important pasture study from 

 1943-46. Investigations on undisturbed bluegrass sod showed that 

 mowing about twice a year increased the annual production of total 

 digestive nutrients by an average of 23 percent. Liming, manuring, 

 mowing, and seeding, although the seeding was not too effective, re- 

 sulted in an average of approximately 40 percent more total digestible 

 nutrients produced yearly than were produced on the untreated 

 bluegrass. 



Experiments on pastures established on bluegrass sod by preparing 

 seedbeds and sowing mixtures of orchard grass, bluegrass, white clover, 

 and hop clover showed that the application of an average of about 16 

 pounds of nitrogen per acre a year increased the yield of total digestible 

 nutrients by 20 percent. The same amount of nitrogen plus about 100 

 pounds of 20-percent superphosphate annually increased the yield by 

 15 percent; 4.8 tons of manure per acre increased it 29 percent. 



Ladino clover and orchard grass gave a 26-percent greater yield 

 than white clover and orchard grass — both treated alike on land that 

 had been in field crops. Ladino clover and orchard grass produced 

 201 percent more grazing than the untreated blue grass (37). 



Some farmers who want to be sure of year-round grazing are con- 

 sidering possibilities of irrigation. One in six of the leading grassland 

 farmers interviewed in the South had some tentative plan for irri- 

 gating pasture. Several farmers have already requested assistance 

 from their extension specialists on irrigation installations. Technical 

 feasibility is almost certain; economic feasibility will require further 

 study. The heavy rainfall and long growing season plus supplemental 

 irrigation, together with numerous improved practices, could mean 

 phenomenal increases in production and utilization of forage in the 

 South. 



Costs of clearing and irrigation of land are high. It would be folly 

 to generalize on the potentialities of irrigation for livestock farming 

 in the South. But thousands of farmers have the water and the physi- 

 cal setting for irrigation installations that would insure green pastures 

 in the dry spells that come each year. Without irrigation, livestock 

 farmers in the South must maintain extra investment in land for 

 temporary crops to graze during dry spells, in silos to store extra 

 silage, or in facilities to keep an extra supply of hay or other feeds. 

 For success some provision must be made to tide livestock over the dry 

 spells. Could irrigation of even a small pasture provide the necessary 

 insurance? An irrigation installation might release 5, 10, 20, or more 

 acres now devoted to a temporary crop for other use. 



Tentative Conclusions 



Experiment stations and some farmers have demonstrated the tech- 

 nical feasibility of farming systems that depend almost entirely upon 

 hay, pasture, and other forage. To achieve satisfactory year-round 

 systems of forage utilization, however, temporary or supplementary 

 crops are necessary in most southern areas for which research data 



