Full text of Agricultural News Letter : Vol. 6, No. 10

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F E D E R A L
Vol. 6, No. 10

NEWS LETTER
R E S E R V E

B A N K

DALLAS, TEXAS

OF

D A L L A S
October 15, 1951

“Self-Fed” Mixtures of Salt and Cottonseed Meal
As the season of supplemental feeding of
range cattle approaches, many southwestern
ranches will be dotted with feed troughs filled
with a mixture of salt and cottonseed meal.
These feeders will hold a week’s or 10 days’
supply of feed for the cattle and will be cov­
ered to protect the feed from rain and wind.
Cattle will eat the cottonseed meal and salt
mixture at their leisure and without the ranch­
ers having to visit the pastures every day or
two with a load of feed.
This practice is known as “self-feeding” mix­
tures of cottonseed meal and salt. The salt is
added to regulate the daily consumption of the
cottonseed meal: the higher the proportion of
salt, the less meal consumed, since the cattle
will eat only a limited amount of salt per day.
These “self-feeders” can be spaced over the
pastures so that the ranges will be grazed more
uniformly. Also, the cattle will spend less time
waiting around the feeding area. In addition,
this practice permits the less aggressive and
smaller animals to get an adequate amount of
feed, since only a few head are likely to be at
the feeder at any one time.
The practice of self-feeding mixtures of salt
and cottonseed meal to range cattle was prob­
ably first practiced along the Pecos River
about 1934. It is reported to have been used
first with the idea of preventing lechuguilla
and bitterweed poisoning. Early reports of the
practice were considered incredible and con­
trary to all known principles of livestock feed­
ing. Despite the skepticism of feeding experts,
the practice has gained rather widespread ac­

ceptance throughout the Southwest. Ranch­
men have been quick to see its advantages in
saving of labor, and many have reported better
gains on cattle fed in this manner.
To determine the limitations of the practice,
the experiment stations of Oklahoma, Arizona,
Kansas, Texas, and New Mexico have carried
out extensive tests in recent years. Briefly,
these tests have demonstrated the practicabil­
ity of this method of feeding. The results have
been similar to those obtained by ranchmen.
However, certain limitations have been discov­
ered, and a few general rules have been de­
veloped.
First, and perhaps most important, animals
being self-fed a mixture of salt and cottonseed
meal should have easy access to an abundant
supply of water. Otherwise, sickness and even
death may result.
Second, animals being self-fed this mixture
should have plenty of palatable dry grass or
roughage. In the Texas Experiment Station
trials, breeding cows were wintered on un­
palatable dry winter forage, and considerable
scouring and one death occurred in this group.
It appears that cattle must maintain an ade­
quate intake of dry grass or other roughage, as
well as plenty of water, to avoid the toxic ef­
fects of such a large intake of salt.
Third, the salt and cottonseed meal must be
mixed thoroughly and uniformly; otherwise, an
animal may accidentally get too much salt at
one time.

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

Where these precautions have been fol­
lowed, the mixture has been fed successfully
to all classes of beef cattle, including breeding
cows.
From the experience of ranchmen and the
results of experiment station trials, a few
guides can be outlined regarding the propor­
tions of salt and cottonseed meal to be used.
In most cases it is desirable to have the cattle
consume about 2 pounds of cottonseed meal
daily. To achieve this it is generally recom­
mended that the mixture contain about 3A
pound of salt to 2 pounds of meal for 700pound steers, s/s pound of salt to 2 pounds of
meal for 450-pound steers, and V2 pound of
salt to 2 pounds of meal for 300-pound calves.
If c a ttle consum e m ore th an the desired
amount of meal, the proportion of salt should
be increased. Likewise, if they do not consume
enough meal, the proportion of salt should be
reduced.
It is usually advisable to start the cattle on
the mixture gradually by sprinkling a little
salt on top of the meal for a few feedings. As
they become accustomed to the mixture, the
proportion of salt can be increased.

Pink Bollworm Threat Most
Serious
“Never before in the 34 years since the pink
bollworm first appeared in the cotton fields of
Texas has the situation been as serious as it
is today,” says L. F. Curl, regional director,
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine.
A large acreage of cotton, a late season, and
failure of farmers to follow an intensive clean­
up program after harvesting their crop have
been conducive to the spread of this dangerous
pest. Mid-September rains in central and south
Texas, where infestations have been especially
heavy, delayed plow-up of harvested cotton
fields and started new growth on those stalks.
This has encouraged many farmers to try for
a “top crop.” According to Mr. Curl, this “top
crop,” if permitted to mature, will provide an

ideal place for pink bollworms to increase and
build up a tremendous population to go into
hiberation for the winter. If this occurs, dam­
age to next year’s crop could far outweigh any
return that might be obtained from a “top
crop” this fall.
It is estimated that in the heavily infested
counties of south Texas there are more than
half a million acres of cotton still standing, and
every acre that remains standing during the
fall increases the chances for pink bollworm
larvae to survive. The situation is so serious
that farmers, bankers, agricultural leaders,
ginners, and everyone interested in the cotton
industry in Texas should take such action as
is necessary to clean up cotton fields at the
earliest possible date.
According to Mr. Curl, there are two meth­
ods of reducing the danger of overwintering
pink bollworms. One is to shred the stalks and
plow them under immediately to prevent fur­
ther maturity of bolls. The second alternative
is to pick and gin or destroy all late-maturing
bolls. Every late-maturing boll left in the field
is a potential home for the pink bollworm.
It should be emphasized that community ac­
tion is essential to a successful clean-up cam­
paign. One field neglected this fall could pro­
tect enough pink bollworms to infest an entire
community next summer. It is worth remem­
bering that in areas of the State where this
pest has become prevalent, losses due to its
damage have been extremely heavy, and in
many cases fields have been abandoned before
any harvesting could be done. A thorough
cleanup in the fall is the only effective method
of control.

Tractor Accidents
Tractor accidents are a major cause of in­
juries and even death on farms, according to
Louisiana State University. As the number of
tractors increases and as they are built to op­
erate at higher speeds, it becomes more and
more important that farmers use extreme care
in their operation. As is the case with other

AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

accidents, most tractor accidents can be pre­
vented by following a few simple safety rules.
Some “don’ts” to be remembered with re­
spect to the operation of a tractor are: Don’t
operate power take-off without the protective
shield in place; don’t crank the tractor while
it is in gear; don’t jump off the tractor while it
is in motion; and don’t permit extra riders.
Additional safety rules for operating trac­
tors include ( 1 ) reduce speed before making
a turn or applying brakes, ( 2 ) never ride on
the draw-bar of tractor or on drawn imple­
ments, (3 ) always stop power take-off before
dismounting from tractor, (4 ) never refuel
tractor while motor is running or extremely
hot, and (5) don’t operate a tractor in a closed
building or close to inflammable materials.

Chemical Control of Johnson
Grass
Modern farm machinery has enabled most
southwestern farmers to bring Johnson grass
under control. However, in many parts of
Texas small patches persist around farm­
steads, fence rows, and roadsides, where it is
impractical to use field machinery. The most
serious objection to these small patches, of
course, is that they are perennial sources of
infestation of larger areas.
Recognizing this problem, the agronomists
of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
have investigated the effectiveness of certain
chemicals in eradicating these small areas of
Johnson grass. Such a method is expensive but,
in the long run, is usually more efficient and
cheaper than attempting to eradicate small
patches with the use of hand tools.
After extensive tests, the specialists found
that one-half to three-fourths pound of 90-per­
cent sodium T.C.A. per square rod used as a
spray or 6 to 8 pounds of Polybor-Chlorate ap­
plied dry or as a spray killed 95 to 100 percent
of the stand of established Johnson grass. Ap­
plication of these chemicals made the soil

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sterile for as long as a year in the case of the
Polybor-Chlorate material but only 6 weeks
for T.C.A. under heavy rainfall conditions.
The time of application does not appear to
be of paramount importance in getting a good
“kill,” although best results were obtained
when the treatment was made during or im­
mediately before a rainy period. Rain carries
the chemical down to the root system, where
it becomes active in killing the plant. Heavily
infested areas that contain many seeds must
be treated more than once, since new seedlings
will appear when the older plants are killed.

More Money With Fertilizer
One ton of commercial fertilizer used under
cotton produced an average annual increase
during the past 18 years of 1.6 bales, according
to I. W. Carson, associate agronomist in cotton,
Louisiana State University. On the basis of
present prices for fertilizer and cotton, this
means that for every dollar spent for fertilizer
on cotton, the grower realized a return of $4.72.
Capitalizing on this
fa v o ra b le return on
investments in fertil­
izer, Louisiana farm­
ers used approximate­
ly 1 0 5 ,0 0 0 ton s of
fertilizer under cotton
in 1 9 5 1 , com pared
with 69,000 tons in 1950 and a 10-year (193948) average of 58,000 tons. The average rate
of application this year was 260 pounds per
acre, and fertilizer was applied on 81 percent
of the cotton acreage in the State. These fig­
ures compare with 235 pounds per acre on 76
percent of the acreage in 1950. Mr. Carson
points out that further increases in the rate of
application per acre would be profitable on
many Louisiana farms.
In view of the probable shortage of fertilizer
during the growing season of 1952, farmers are
advised to place their orders now for sufficient
fertilizer to meet their needs during next year.
If delivery can be made now, it should be ac-

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

cepted and the fertilizer stored in a dry place
on the farm.

Legumes, Fertilizers Increase
Corn Yields
Dixie wonder peas as a winter green manure
crop between annual crops of corn increased
the yield of corn from 28 bushels per acre to
43 bushels per acre in tests at the Brazos River
Valley Station in Burleson County, Texas.
The use of either Melilotus indica or Hubam
clover planted in the fall or Madrid clover
planted in either spring or fall increased the
yield of corn from 28 bushels per acre to more
than 70— an increase of 150 percent. These
crops were used in a 2 -year rotation with corn
on a Miller clay soil, the major soil along the
Brazos River bottoms.

Greenwrap Tomato Varieties
The practice of harvesting tomatoes while
they are still slightly green in order that they
can be shipped to distant markets without se­
rious deterioration in quality has gained wide­
spread popularity among southwestern grow­
ers. In an effort to assist producers in finding
the best variety for this “greenwrap” trade, the
Lower Rio Grande Valley Experiment Station
at Weslaco, Texas, has tested several hundred
varieties of tomatoes.
According to those experiments, the Valiant
variety produced the highest yield of early
season fruit and also produced the greatest
yield of marketable fruit. Tomato 1000 pro­
duced the highest quality fruit and very satis­
factory yields in 1951. However, specialists in
charge of the experiments believe that this
variety should be tested under a wider range
of conditions before any definite recommenda­
tions are made.
Stokesdale produced high yields of both
early and late-season tomatoes which were of
good quality. However, a large percentage of
the fruit was small.
Improved Rutgers gave favorable yields,
but the large number of rough, unattractive
fruit produced by this variety made it inferior
to others. Manasota produced good yields, but

the fruit was rough and of poor quality in the
spring season. However, this variety produced
very satisfactorily during the fall season.
Rutgers Certified gave good yields of highquality fruit but was very late in its maturity.
Southland gave low yields throughout the sea­
son, and its fruit was very low in quality.

Sweetclover Root Borer
A new insect, known as the sweetclover root
borer, destroyed an estimated 8 ,000 acres of
biennial sweetclover during 1950 in northcentral Texas.
The insect apparently attacks all of the com­
monly grown biennial varieties of sweetclover,
and heavy infestations have been found in
fields of common white, Evergreen, and Ma­
drid varieties. To date, there is no known con­
trol for this new pest, although the possibility
of using some of the newer organic insecticides
is being investigated at the Denton Experi­
ment Station.
Fortunately, neither alfalfa nor Hubam, an
annual sweetclover, has been attacked by the
borer. Mr. N. J. Norris, Jr., agronomist at the
Denton Station, states that it seems unlikely
that Hubam clover is resistant to the insect but
that, instead, it probably matures early enough
to escape damage.
The symptoms of the new pest are similar
to those caused by cotton root rot. Plants that
are infested wilt and die during late summer
and early fall. The roots of infested plants con­
tain many grooves and burrows and small,
white worms.
The appearance of this pest is a serious blow
to the legume program that has made such
rapid progress in recent years, but farmers are
urged to continue planting legumes, switching
to those which are not attacked by the borer
if it becomes prevalent in their fields. The
value of legumes in improving the fertility of
the soil is so great that southwestern farmers
cannot afford to abandon their use.
The Agricultural News Letter is prepared in
the Research Department under the direction
of C a rl H. M oore, Agricultural Economist.