,libraries47 ,,florida ,an ,ideal ,cattle ,state ,copyrighted #aiah by ,,the ,,florida ,,state ,,live ,,stock ,,association ,p4 ,o4 ,box #aaha ,jacksonville1 ,florida ,foreword ,by ,w4 ,f4 ,blackman1 ,ph4 ,d41 ,,ll4 ,d4 ,president of the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,association1 ,member of the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,sanitary ,board4 ,requests for authentic information as to the advantages and possibilities of ,florida for the growing of live stock1 and in particular of beef cattle1 have been coming of late1 and in constantly increasing numbers1 from all parts of the country4 ,this booklet has been compiled for the purpose of providing this information4 ,the gentlemen who have contributed to the volume are men of ability1 long and successful experience in the live stock and kindred industries1 and the most trustworthy character4 ,several of them have been engaged for many years in the growing and marketing of cattle on a very large scale in ,texas1 and have recently made a prolonged and close study of ,florida conditions4 ,the report of their findings is of the utmost interest4 ,prof4 ,c4 ,v4 ,piper1 agrostologist of the ,bureau of ,plant ,industry1 ,department of ,agriculture1 ,washington1 is recognized as the foremost authority on ,southern grasses and forage crops4 ,we are indebted to him for permission to make use of the valuable address on this important subject which was made by him at the recent annual meeting of the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,association4 ,a study of these papers will make it evident1 ,i believe1 that ,florida possesses a number of advantages for the profitable growing of live stock greater than those to be found elsewhere2 among these are a mild1 equable and healthful climate1 comparative freedom from animal diseases1 a long grazing season1 vast areas of cheap lands1 a soil adapted to the growing of numerous improved grasses and forage crops 7especially such legumes as the velvet bean1 the cow pea1 the soy bean1 the vetches1 the indigenous beggar-weed1 the peanut1 and certain clovers71 a copious and well-distributed rainfall1 and countless springs1 streams and lakes1 providing almost everywhere an abundant and unfailing supply of pure water4 ,there can be no doubt1 ,i believe1 that ,florida will take a leading place in the near future among the important live stock states of the ,union4 ,what she needs is additional thousands of intelligent1 energetic1 thrifty and experienced farmers1 who will take advantage of the opportunities she offers and develop to the full her immense and latent resources4 ,lake ,monroe1 ,february1 #aiah4 ,,possibilities ,,of ,,beef ,,production ,,in ,,florida4 ,by ,frank ,s4 ,hastings1 ,manager of the ,s4 ,m4 ,s4 ,ranch1 ,stamford1 ,texas1 who spent two weeks studying conditions in ,florida just previous to the ,sixth ,annual ,convention of the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,association1 at which he was one of the speakers4 ,these impressions have been prepared by ,mr4 ,hastings for the benefit of the cattle men of ,florida4 ,before coming to the ,state ,i asked that ,i might see as many classes of cattle as possible and in as many different parts of the ,state as possible4 ,my first trip was through the ,everglades4 ,i then made a trip near ,gainesville1 and visited the registered ,hereford herd owned by ,mr4 ,n4 ,a4 ,callison2 also the grade herd of both ,herefords and ,shorthorns owned by ,mr4 ,a4 ,l4 ,jackson of ,gainesville1 and the pure-bred and graded ,shorthorn herd owned by ,mr4 ,s4 ,h4 ,gaitskill of ,mc,intosh4 ,then followed a four days' careful trip over the properties and herd of the ,kissimmee ,island ,cattle ,company1 where ,i saw ,brahma cattle1 ,hereford cattle and ,shorthorn cattle in various grades1 and their herd of ,florida cattle bought last year4 ,then over the ,indian ,prairie country1 the ,osceola prairie country1 including ,halpatioka ,flats1 the marsh country of ,okeechobee1 with an unusually good opportunity for seeing the cattle scattered over the open range and to observe conditions on the open range4 ,incident to this great expanse1 comprehending over six hundred miles in actual auto driving1 ,i did not see a single windmill1 or other artificial means of furnishing water1 although ,i am told that on not a single acre of that entire property is there any difficulty in finding water at a depth of from ten to fifty feet4 ,i shall come back to this item1 only pausing here to call your especial attention to the fact that over this vast area of undeveloped water conditions1 water can be supplied at a very small cost sufficient to increase the carrying capacity of the range at least several hundred per cent1 and as against developing a similar water supply over the average ,texas pasture country1 it can be done at twenty-five per cent of the cost in ,florida as against the ,texas cost4 ,probably the most important thing that ,i saw in ,florida was the registered ,hereford herd of ,mr4 ,callison4 ,i recall that he boasted that in eight years they had never been given any winter help1 and there were no evidences on his property that the cattle were in any way pampered4 ,he had about thirty or forty of last spring's calves1 which he was just weaning1 and they were as good1 on the average1 as any bunch of calves ,i have ever seen in the great registered ,hereford producing districts4 ,i saw his yearlings and twos and his cows1 and the entire herd shows in general development and quality a very favorable comparison with anything in the great breeding districts outside of distinct show herds4 ,if the climate of ,florida can produce these registered cattle without help and have them make a favorable comparison with cattle in the great registered breeding grounds of other parts of ,america1 there is no reason why beef cattle can not be produced which1 in turn1 will form a favorable comparison with those of the great pasture breeding grounds1 which1 in turn1 are furnishing the feeder cattle for the corn belt4 ,on ,mr4 ,jackson's place we found both graded ,herefords and ,shorthorns in the third generation1 with splendid development and quality1 and we found in his registered or pure-bred herd of ,shorthorns good quality and development4 ,at the home of ,mr4 ,gaitskill we found both pure breds and grades of good development1 and a splendid object lesson in a half-bred cow known as ,old ,blue1 her dam one of the primitive ,florida cows and her sire a pure-bred ,shorthorn bull4 ,she is what might be called a blue roan1 with the blue almost black4 ,then we saw her daughters and their daughters1 and ,i think we saw a fourth generation1 but either in this third or fourth generation1 ,i remarked to ,mr4 ,gaitskill that he could lie a little about that heifer1 as she had absolutely every appearance and all development of an absolutely pure-bred ,shorthorn4 ,in this same district we learned from ,mr4 ,jackson that graded cattle all the way from half-breeds up to seven-eighths and in the mixed threes and fours ages1 all by registered bulls1 weighed #ijj pounds off grass last fall4 ,as near as ,i can obtain information1 the same ages in the native ,florida steers and under most favorable conditions would probably not weigh to exceed #fjj pounds4 ,on this same trip ,mr4 ,edwards of ,mc,intosh told me that he got about half the gain on the native steers that he does from three-quarter-bred grades1 on the same feed4 ,the foregoing is a practical demonstration that as far as climate1 general feeds and ordinary normal conditions are concerned1 graded cattle thrive in ,florida4 ,it is important that ,i should have seen them1 because ,i am working on well defined and demonstrated general principles of breeding and beef production1 and they respond in every way to the foregoing4 ,from this time on we must reckon with the world's supply of live stock4 ,without attempting to go into details1 there has been a very material decrease in it during the past ten years4 ,we know that ,europe must be re-stocked after the war1 and that the ,american supply is freer from disease than that of any other country4 ,we know that under normal conditions the beef production of ,america has not kept pace with the population1 and that even without the influence of war values of beef1 stock cattle values have shown a steady increase for the past ten years4 ,there is1 therefore1 every reason to believe that for a very long period in the future1 even taking into consideration reduced beef consumption as the result of substitutes or every other influence1 there is a reasonable expectation for strong values and a profit on production under normal expense4 ,i think that we may go beyond the favorable general market and say that there will be a better market in proportion for the intermediate grades of beef1 for grass produced beef1 than for the very extreme corn-fed finish1 and that in the evolution of the ,florida beef problem1 the grades produced will at least be in as great demand1 and probably greater demand1 than the ultra finished class4 ,it is1 therefore1 fair to argue that the market is with the producer4 ,you are singularly fortunate in having a ,legislature which seems in every way disposed toward doing everything in its power to help develop the resources of the ,state4 ,the ,government believes that live stock production is its second greatest problem1 and in every possible way that it can give co-operation is pledged to do so4 ,in fact1 ,i do not think that ,i would have been here at all unless a high official in the ,bureau of ,animal ,industry had not urged me to come1 in line with their work of general development throughout the ,south4 ,another thing1 ,i find that ,florida is very much in the public eye1 and that all the live stock journals are anxious to have anything which touches upon increased beef production anywhere1 but in the ,south particularly4 ,with the knowledge that ,i might be here some time this winter1 ,i talked to two of the great packers about the development of the beef industry in the ,south1 and they both said that they thought the ,south was going to come to the front very rapidly1 and that either they or some one else would undoubtedly keep pace with the development by enlarging their present facilities or building new packing houses4 ,in that connection a packer loves a hog country to work in conjunction with cattle4 ,without giving the topic any more than this general statement1 ,i can see where hog production is going to be one of the great things in ,florida1 and that while in ,texas we do not attempt to produce any hogs along with our cattle1 that hogs will be to some extent a part of the great pasture problems4 ,in a general way1 conditions are very similar in ,florida now to those of some thirty-five years ago in ,texas1 at which time that ,state was an open range proposition4 ,today1 with the exception of a very small strip along the ,gulf ,coast1 the entire ,state of ,texas is under fence1 and in a general way has been under fence for nearly twenty years4 ,there has never been a time in the ,state of ,texas in the past twenty years when practically all of the grazing area of the ,state has not been occupied1 and as against the cattle carried on the open range with practically no water development1 the pastures of ,texas1 which are known as the range 7but the word range in ,texas means large bodies of inclosed land71 are carrying several hundred per cent more cattle than at that time4 ,the thing which in ,texas led to great hardships alike to the large pasture owner and to the settler himself was the fact that so much of the land did not lie in solid bodies4 ,i judge that in the main there is much less of this in ,florida than in ,texas1 and that either by partition1 or purchase1 or auxiliary lease1 the great bulk of that complication can be handled4 ,and that brings me to the principle of fencing1 which ,i think may be covered under the general heading of ,control4 ,first1 it means defined ownership1 which is always recognized4 ,it means fire control1 because it eliminates the wantonness which we now find all over your open range1 each man working out his problem and firing the range for various causes4 ,fencing means that an area may be developed to its capacity4 ,for instance1 on your ranges fire kills the various varieties of the carpet or blanket grass and kills the little blue cane1 as well as any number of other grasses1 all of which1 however1 come back where an area is protected1 and as they are among your very best feeds1 the carrying capacity of a pasture is materially increased4 ,water may be developed through the windmill process directly in proportion with the needs of the cattle and concentrated to them as against any water development on the open range4 ,it is a scientific fact that eradication of the tick may be accomplished by resting a pasture for a certain time4 ,fencing means the concentration of that area to the best bulls as against not only their mixture with the scrub bulls on the open range1 but the fact that the old ,spanish fighting blood in the scrub bull materially reduces the effectiveness of the higher class bull4 ,fencing means that if on any favorable areas you wish to introduce any of the wonderful grasses which the ,department of ,agriculture is showing can be spread very rapidly1 it can be done concentrating to ownership4 ,fencing means that lands which are now being occupied by some one else without revenue1 but at an expense1 may be made to either pay a fair interest on the investment of land1 improvements and cattle1 or at least a rental revenue which will take care of taxes1 interest on improvements and become a net economy1 as against the open range4 ,i believe1 too1 that the principle will stand that a property defined by fences immediately takes on increased value2 that the buyer would pay more for it per acre defined than looking at it in the abstract as part of the open range4 ,i do not think that in the whole ,state of ,texas you will find a single land owner1 who has fenced his ranches1 who does not know that it has been done at a splendid profit4 ,you begin your problem with a tick-wide eradication law1 which ,texas has only had a very short time4 ,you begin it at a time when the ,government and most of the tick-infested states are releasing thousands of square miles every year1 and at a time when both science and every practical observer understands it as an economic measure1 which may be pursued with practically no detriment or danger to the cattle4 ,i think that we probably dipped in the neighborhood of a million cattle1 considering the number of times that they were dipped1 and we did not lose a total of fifty head from all causes4 ,eradication means larger cattle in better condition on the same feeds and a less mortality4 ,it means that they can go anywhere in ,america without restriction2 or1 in other words1 a broader market and no punishment just before shipment4 ,i do not think that the perpetuity of the tick can be defended from any economic standpoint4 ,i want to take up the breeding section1 first with reference to what your cattle represent and a comparison with primitive cattle in other countries4 ,i am advised on reliable authority that forty years ago the only ready money in this country came from the cattle men who either topped their bulls and took them to ,cuba1 or the ,cubans came here and topped them1 taking the very best sires that you produced for sport and slaughter4 ,you have1 therefore1 for forty years been grading down1 as far as the sire is concerned4 ,in the matter of the cows1 there has been no culling1 added to which there has been in-breeding1 and on both the sire and dam side following out the law that evil qualities intensify in posterity1 the tendency has been down instead of up in the breeding of native cattle for forty years1 to which the only relief has been a very limited introduction of the beef strains4 ,in addition to this1 the cattle have been infested with ticks1 and every evil influence that could arrest their development seems to have had a good chance at them1 and yet in spite of all this ,i find them on the whole much better than ,i had expected4 ,i have been trying to make a comparison between them and the primitive cattle of ,texas1 which ,i have known for fifty years1 as they were pastured next to my father's farm in great quantities when ,i was only seven years old and long before there was any process of improvement4 ,i think the ,texas cattle had greater scale1 but from all ,i can learn ,i do not believe they had any greater vitality4 ,i think1 on the whole1 though1 that in evolving a race of cattle you have a little further to go than ,texas had4 ,mr4 ,alvin ,sanders1 ,editor of the ,breeders' ,gazette1 in his book1 ,the ,story of the ,herefords1 traces very carefully the first introduction of blooded bulls to the ,texas and ,western ranges1 and forty years1 certainly forty-five1 is as far back as that influence began4 ,my own people began on primitive ,texas cattle in #ahhb1 but from that time used only full-blooded sires1 about ninety per cent ,hereford and about ten per cent ,shorthorn1 and only about three years after ,i went with them sixteen years ago1 ,i took selected calves from their herd to ,chicago and won grand sweepstakes for feeder cattle with them against all competition from all sections of the ,united ,states4 ,when ,i went to the ,s4 ,m4 ,s4 herd ,i found a wonderful lot of breeding cows1 the bulk of them at least fifteen-sixteenths and only requiring a vigorous culling process to bring them to a remarkably high standard4 ,i was identified with ,mr4 ,kirk ,armour during the great progress in grading up ,texas herds in the '#ij's1 and it was noticeable in the stock yards that in a short space of about six years there was an absolute change in the general run of cattle from the ranges to the yards from primitive cattle to cattle showing very appreciable improvement1 and in twelve years the longhorn had become a scarcity2 he was practically extinct in #aijj4 ,argentina during the same period evolved from a primitive race of cattle one which will compare very favorably to that of ,america in its up-grading4 ,the other ,south ,american ,republics have been slower1 but between ,argentina and ,america two demonstrations have been given within my own lifetime of a race of cattle absolutely redeemed from the primitive to practically full-bloods1 and that the first twelve years of that work has resulted in animals showing fifty per cent increase in weight under the same conditions1 a much higher degree of meat in the rib and loin and round1 with an immense improvement in their instinct for putting on weight on the same feed over the primitive cattle4 ,i am simply taking these generally demonstrated laws of breeding to apply to your conditions4 ,i am sure that by using good sires you will find an immense improvement in three years2 that in six years it will be a revelation1 and that in twelve years you will have a race of cattle for which the world will make a path to your door4 ,to arrive at this process ,i must first disclaim any thought of urging any particular breed upon you4 ,on the other hand1 ,i could not be fair to the problem without calling your attention to the fact that the ,hereford has been the redeemer of the great ,western ranges4 ,i am sure1 however1 that the greater the degree of purity that you use in him1 up to at least a seven-eighths1 will be shown in the result4 ,i find that there is some prejudice against the ,hereford in ,florida1 but as far as ,i can follow it they apparently got a very low grade of bulls--,i am inclined to think not over half-breeds1 and then1 too1 they found they didn't get any more at that time for the better grades than they did for the others4 ,the limitation of the ,hereford is that in the first cross between a pure-bred and any of the primitive cattle ninety per cent will show white faces or dominant characteristics1 and just so in the use of bulls1 the animal may not have the intensification of blood that he should have simply because he has a white face1 and the bull peddler has1 as a proposition1 bought something that he could sell at a profit1 rather than in following out any visions of cattle improvement4 ,i can not urge you too strongly to know absolutely the breeding strength of anything you buy1 and that means in a general way that you must buy known cattle4 ,i realize1 too1 that there is a great shortage of bulls1 and probably the only way that you can get what you want1 because it goes without saying that you can not afford to pay the price for registered bulls in all your work1 is to work in some way through a central community of interests1 go to ,texas and buy the bull calf crop of some herd of cattle that will show fifteen-sixteenths or better breeding4 ,i urge this freely1 because you must go below the line and none of our own cattle are available4 ,i believe that if you bring these calves over here1 say in ,november at weaning time1 at the age of about six months1 and give them some good winter help1 that they will acclimate quickly1 and will give you very fair returns in the yearling period1 although1 of course1 you can not expect from them a real usefulness until the two-year-old period4 ,while the ,hereford has been the redeemer of the ranges1 practically every ranch man in ,texas has felt that an undercurrent of ,shorthorn is of the greatest advantage4 ,we have used it persistently in our own work1 and feel that it has given a most appreciable contribution to the weight and general quality of our cattle4 ,in the last few years the ,brahma cattle have come into prominence1 and every investigation that ,i have made shows that they will undoubtedly prove a great factor in the evolution of ,florida cattle4 ,they seem to be immune to most of the pests and do not require as much in the way of acclimatization4 ,they show a wonderful growth in yearlings and they mark their progeny with size and distinct characteristics in a most decided way4 ,the packers seem to like them2 they kill out a large per cent of beef1 and while ,i have never had any experience with them1 all my observation has been in their favor1 and ,i urge you to go as far as you can in utilizing them in ,florida4 ,i am1 however1 convinced that you are going to need both the ,shorthorn and the ,hereford to combine with them4 ,i am also convinced that both the ,shorthorns and the ,black cattle are going to prove very valuable adjuncts in your eventual work in the ,state1 particularly as applied to small areas where the cattle are not asked to live as much upon their own resources4 ,the experience1 however1 in ,texas has been that the calf crop is not as great from either of these breeds as from the ,herefords4 ,for your information1 on the ,s4 ,m4 ,s4 ,ranch we have averaged better than eighty percent calf crop for the last ten years4 ,i think that perhaps you will find the ,brahma cattle even more prolific than the ,herefords4 ,i think1 too1 that in every possible way you should encourage the breeders of full-blood cattle in all of these breeds1 and that you give them every encouragement in purchasing their progeny4 ,the introduction of good bulls is a comparatively simple matter1 because they can be purchased1 but a great cow herd can only be produced by accumulation1 probably by a culling of at least ten per cent of all females every year during the process of up-grading4 ,the yearling heifers should not be bred4 ,we always cull them when about eighteen months old1 cutting them ten per cent4 ,culling should be done both from an individual standpoint and from the standpoint of ,get4 ,the culling process is the most important element in beef evolution4 ,the process of culling will not be extravagant1 because looking to the next few years it would seem that canner cattle will probably be as strong as any other branch of the industry1 and these culls are usually not only splendid canners1 but furnish quite an element of cutters1 which means cattle producing very fair meat for regular consumption4 ,i believe1 too1 that on any range of appreciable dimensions you will find it an economy to produce your own bulls1 and in starting any good sized property ,i urge that you keep that in mind4 ,get your cows just as good as you can get them2 of course pure-breds will be better1 and then use only the best registered sires in that herd4 ,i think advisable1 too1 in your branding1 to put the year brand on all heifers1 as it will be of material assistance to you in the matter of knowing the intensification of blood during the early process4 ,it will not be so important later on when the cattle are all very high grade4 ,the use of the scrub bull is an economic crime2 therefore no matter what you use in the way of a sire you are pointed upward1 but ,i feel that it will be a distinct economy to try to get seven-eighths1 or at least fifteen-sixteenths sires4 ,another thing which offers a great economy in your country is the possibility of dropping calves an average of about two months earlier than they do in ,texas4 ,we do not like to have a calf come before the #ast of ,april4 ,i believe that you can drop yours during ,january and ,february without any trouble1 judging from the average condition of your cattle in a winter said to be from early ,october1 the most severe you have ever had4 ,dropping a calf at that time will have him old enough to eat your young grasses when they begin to come4 ,he will have a two months' pull over the ,texas calf2 will have at least two months longer to combine nursing and grazing to deliver him the first of ,november4 ,as a summary of your breeding problem1 ,i regard it as the simplest thing you have to deal with4 ,there seems to be a sure result by comparison with other countries2 there can be little argument as to its economic value1 and it is simply a matter of disposition and making the proper investment in inclosures1 in bulls and water development to accomplish a good business result4 ,i only want to add this fragment as to breeding4 ,since dictating this section ,i chanced to meet at lunch today ,mr4 ,will ,goodwin1 for thirty years one of the officers and managers of the ,breeders' ,gazette and one of the best authorities in the world on cattle4 ,his winter home is near ,ocala1 ,florida1 and he has seen enough of your ranges to convince him of their great utility in beef production4 ,he agrees with me that the evolution of your cattle is simply a matter of disposition4 ,i find1 however1 that he has no use for the ,brahma bull1 although he joins me in the belief that you can not do anything to hurt the present breeding process1 and he rather grudgingly admits that the ,brahma bull may have a place in scale4 ,i reviewed with him at some length what has preceded and asked him what he thought about my comparison with the ,texas primitive cattle as to having more scale4 ,he thinks ,i am right in that connection1 but says that he believes the ,florida cow is more shapely2 that she has a better hindquarter than the old ,texan cattle1 and is1 in a sense1 a miniature ,shorthorn1 and that he believes that a cross between a ,shorthorn and a primitive ,florida cow will give you the best basis4 ,i called his attention to the fact that in range experience neither the ,blacks nor the ,shorthorns seem to be able to make their own living as well as the ,herefords and do not get the calf crop1 and he was quite free to say that it had a little force4 ,on the other hand1 he confirms fully my belief that where a better class of protection can be offered than the vast ranges1 the ,shorthorn cross and the cross with the ,blacks either on primitive cows or their cross will have splendid results4 ,he also called my attention to the prominence that ,blacks are getting in ,florida4 ,there is1 therefore1 a very wide range of possibilities in your breeding problem1 all of it pointed upward1 and there may be something in your experience here which will show that the ,shorthorn and ,black have a greater mission on the open range than they had in ,texas4 ,there certainly can be no question about the value of the blood4 ,and here ,i might add that the ,government is not asking any one to increase beef production from a patriotic standpoint1 but rather that it offers a splendid investment4 ,and perhaps ,i might add that when our boys who have gone into the army come back again they will practically all be trained athletes2 men seasoned to the out-of-doors and loving it2 men who have obtained an earnestness in life and a new vision as to usefulness1 and when you stop to reflect that we have been sending the flower of the world to the front1 when it comes back to us we will not only have the attributes ,i have described1 but the flower of the world to apply them1 and ,i look for an increased interest in all of the out-of-door lines of business such as ,america has never seen before4 ,i thought ,i knew something of my own country and something of the possibilities of land available for cattle production1 but seeing your ranges has been a revelation4 ,they are off the track of the tourist4 ,there is sparse settlement1 and they are known to very few4 ,in fact1 they might be1 in a sense1 called a hidden country1 but the whole of ,america is interested in everything that offers a good agricultural or stock-raising possibility1 and when our boys come back1 not only the boys of the ,south1 but the boys of ,america are going to investigate your properties4 ,i promised to come back to water development4 ,practically every question that ,i have asked in the main about water has been covered by the reply1 ,water everywhere4 ,much of your area is watered by rivers and lakes1 and where good surface water is not easily available for stock1 your well water is so easily obtainable and at such small investment you can afford to have it every two miles over the entire country4 ,i am told that the windmill will furnish ample production1 and at that narrow depth the light mills1 which go well in a light wind1 are available4 ,we have found it very valuable1 however1 to use the one and a half horsepower gasoline engines1 and from that pumping supply as our live stock demanded1 because you must keep water constantly before the cattle4 ,cattle become accustomed to watering at one place1 and if there is no water they will stand around and wait for the mill to pump4 ,without attempting to go into details1 you should have a proper water storage at each mill4 ,it is small expense1 and with a storage tank and a windmill it would be cheaper than a gasoline engine4 ,it is always customary in our country to put salt around the water holes4 ,i find1 as a proposition1 your cattle do not have salt at all1 and it is very much needed in their development4 ,over some areas there is no lime1 and there it would probably be wise to combine salt and lime1 which can be very easily done by using a compressed cake1 not rock salt4 ,it may take these primitive cattle some time to learn how to lick the salt1 but the next generation will be there all right1 and it will have its influence in their development4 ,it is my observation that under a proper development of water1 a fenced area and proper subdivision fences permitting the protection of one pasture for winter purposes1 forcing the cattle out in summer upon areas best adapted to that season1 that ,florida lands will carry from two to three times the number of cattle that the average ,texas range does4 ,i find1 too1 that a great deal of the range offers a splendid hog feed from the cabbage palm1 the seed of the palmetto and from the mast found in the shinnery4 ,it would seem1 therefore1 that an appreciable number of hogs may be produced without extra cost on most ,florida ranges4 ,while they will not sell for the top prices unless fattened on some concentrate1 they bring a very fair figure as against combined result and overhead charges1 and should be a big factor in revenue and one that we do not have in ,texas4 ,your lands are singularly free from pests4 ,to illustrate1 it cost us something over #ge1jjj to kill prairie dogs on about #dej1jjj acres of ,texas lands1 and outside of the shinnery lands the great bulk of ,texas lands have been populated with prairie dogs1 which in bad times take at least one-third of the grass4 ,you do not seem to have the screw worm1 which bothers us a great deal in very wet weather4 ,you can own your posts at a comparatively small cost and with normal prices of wire ,i should say could construct your fences for three-fourths of what it costs us4 ,you have no very long drives for your cattle when shipping them1 and in the matter of winter help to your cattle it will cost very little as compared with what we have to spend in ,texas4 ,to give you an idea1 we are buying #ej1jjj worth of feed to winter a herd of #be1jjj head of cattle4 ,while your season here will permit you to get through with very little extra cost1 if any1 ,i think that you should make a provision for some concentrate1 so as to have it4 ,in ,texas1 when the grass is all gone1 the use of cotton seed cake is limited when not taken in conjunction with a good filler1 and there is never a time when you at least don't have a good filler4 ,it is simply a matter of getting a little concentrate on it and cutting out the weak cattle and concentrating them to such winter help4 ,you are right where we were in '#hb--large areas of land1 in which our problem was to make them carry themselves without cost1 or pay a small interest until such time as they would sell at good value4 ,we had very low values on cattle1 long distances from the railroads--in fact1 every possible disadvantage1 but these lands have always paid for taxes and overhead expenses and have always given us a little something in addition1 and are at a point now where they pay us a very good net interest on #aj4jj land and #gj4jj cows4 ,we probably could sell every acre that we own at a price which would give us more net money than we get from the cattle business1 but our people consider it a mighty good back-log to have lands which were almost without value brought up to that value and to their earning capacity4 ,i think that if you go into the cattle business you should study very carefully the possibility of disposing of the calf at weaning time4 ,that is something you will have to grow to4 ,the ,government is authority for the statement that the economical production of beef is the calf1 taken at weaning time1 not allowed to go back1 but kept coming in the matter of feeding1 and if this calf is to be taken at that age1 you can run twenty per cent more cows on your range1 producing an average of fifteen per cent more calves1 as against developing a steer to the three or four year old period1 in which his individual gain is your revenue in the matter of a carrying charge4 ,i believe1 too1 you will find it an economy to dehorn these calves at branding time4 ,it can be done with practically no loss of blood4 ,the animal is well in a very short time4 ,i think he develops better and he certainly sells quicker4 ,packers have immense contracts1 and if the war continues they must have lots of tinned beef4 ,on the other hand1 if the war stops the world must stock up again with tinned beef4 ,we know that they expected to pay an average of at least one cent per pound more for their canners the past year1 but that the great drought has forced so many cattle in1 the owners were very thankful to take what they got and the packers were forced to their capacity to attempt to handle them in such quantities4 ,we know that the calf crop of ,texas next year will probably show a decrease of twenty-five per cent1 and that if rain comes in time to give good spring grass that a farmer will pay anywhere from ten to twenty-five per cent more in ,texas than any other part of ,america4 ,it would not surprise me at all to see your ,florida cattle shippped over to ,texas4 ,we know1 too1 that next year1 instead of the normal number of cows coming in in the culling process1 which find their average market as canners1 it will be the disposition of every ranchman to hold back cows which would ordinarily go into the culls in order that his ranch may be brought up sooner to re-stocking4 ,i would urge all of you to get your fences up and buy as many cattle as you can handle1 because the she-stuff is going to be higher4 ,this is particularly true of the she-stuff which has been selling at the values of ,florida primitive cattle4 ,,forage ,,crops ,,for ,,florida4 7,address delivered before the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,association1 ,january #i1 #aiah1 by ,prof4 ,c4 ,v4 ,piper1 ,agrostologist1 ,bureau of ,plant ,industry1 ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c47 ,for many years ,i have been interested in the problem of more and better forage for the ,south1 because it has long been evident to students of agriculture that sooner or later there would be an important live stock industry developed in the ,south4 ,the present greatly increased interest of ,florida1 and1 indeed1 of the entire ,south1 marks1 ,i believe1 the beginning of this epoch4 ,several economic incentives have conspired to bring about the present active interest and development4 ,chief among them1 perhaps1 were3 ,first1 changes necessitated by the spread of the cotton boll weevil2 and1 second1 the present high range of prices for live stock--prices that in all probability will be little1 if any1 reduced for many years to come4 ,another incentive that must1 however1 be recognized was the desire of enterprising men to develop the latent resources of the ,south1 not only as an attest of their economic faith1 but also from the patriotic motive of helping the nation in this period of stress4 ,as an indication of the extent of this movement ,i may state that within the past two years over thirty extensive live stock enterprises have been launched1 all in the piney woods region of the ,southern ,states4 ,most of these companies have ample capital1 and most of them are proceeding along conservative lines4 ,the future development and prosperity of this industry must rest upon a thorough knowledge and proper utilization of the forage crops adapted to the region4 ,in very large measure these forages are quite different from those used in the portions of the ,united ,states where animal husbandry is most developed4 ,from a practical standpoint we cannot use in the ,south the forages of the ,north and ,west1 with the important exception of corn4 ,the other great forages--timothy1 red clover1 alfalfa1 blue grass and white clover--can never become important in ,florida4 ,this fact needs emphasis1 because the newcomer in ,florida is often carried away with the idea that these forages may be made to succeed4 ,in the beginning of this active live stock development it is unfortunate that there is not a larger body of exact data concerning both the culture and feeding value of the more important forages available4 ,there is a large amount of such information concerning corn1 timothy1 red clover1 alfalfa1 blue grass and white clover1 not only in ,america1 but also in ,europe4 ,furthermore1 countless live stock farms exist where the practical utilization of these forages has been worked out in detail4 ,in comparison1 our stock of knowledge concerning ,southern forages1 both from experimental investigations and from practical experience1 is relatively small4 ,this is not surprising1 because the experiment stations have very properly been compelled to devote their energies mainly to assisting agricultural industries in proportion to their existing importance1 rather than to industries in which there was relatively little interest4 ,in this matter of ,southern forages ,i have long advocated much more generous support on the part of the ,state and ,federal agricultural agencies1 because ,i have great faith in the future possibilities4 ,with the magnificent start that has now been made in live stock farming in the ,south1 we may hope for much more generous support to live stock and forage investigations1 but this hope will be realized only if we are insistent in our demands4 ,the knowledge thus to be obtained is fundamental1 and the progress that is made in live stock raising will be conditioned in an important measure on the accurate investigations that can be conducted only at properly equipped experiment stations4 ,one other angle of these general considerations must not be overlooked4 ,the northern or western man who may be considering developing a live stock ranch in the ,south naturally wants to see developed ranches in which the practical problems have been worked out4 ,in all the ,south there are very few cattle ranches which have reached a finished state of development--where the concrete demonstration exists of a type of management that can be duplicated4 ,now1 of course1 ,i am fully aware that ,florida and all the ,south has long had an extensive cattle industry based on the natural grasses of the prairies and of the piney woods4 ,in general1 this has been a profitable industry1 especially on free range4 ,without hurting anyone's feelings1 we will1 ,i think1 agree that this has not been a very high grade of live stock ranching4 ,indeed1 the ordinary ,northern or ,western man1 who is1 of course1 a superficial observer1 has gotten the idea from the scrub cattle and razorback hogs that he saw1 that there is something in the ,south that is inimical to good live stock4 ,usually he has decided it is the climate4 ,fortunately we know from the work of every ,southern experiment station1 as well as of a few good live stock ranches1 that the ,south can raise just as good cattle and hogs as the ,north4 ,it isn't a matter of climate1 at all1 but purely one of breed and feed4 ,i have spoken thus candidly because ,i feel that ,i am a friend among friends1 and because ,i have very much faith in the industry you represent4 ,if ,i were not so optimistic as to the future of the live stock industry in ,florida ,i should be afraid to lay bare any weak factors that exist4 ,i believe with ,huxley in the wisdom of facing things as they are1 rather than indulging in make believe4 ,perhaps it will be most helpful in discussing the forages adapted to ,florida to proceed from the viewpoint of the man starting a cattle ranch4 ,the basis1 of course1 of any profitable cattle ranch is permanent pasturage1 the cheapest of all feeds1 and1 to supplement this1 a supply of feed1 which may be hay1 ensilage1 or in ,southern ,florida1 green feed1 to bridge over the season of short pastures4 ,if one is to produce highly finished beef1 grain feeds and other concentrates must be raised or purchased4 ,in discussing pasturage it will be convenient to recognize three types of lands1 namely1 piney woods1 prairie1 and mucks1 realizing1 of course1 that this is a very rough classification4 ,piney ,woods ,lands4 ,in the piney woods the natural pasturage is composed mainly of broom sedge and wire grasses4 ,during the growing season1 from spring till late fall1 these grasses furnish fair pasturage1 but through the rest of the year they merely enable animals to exist4 ,what can be done towards converting these poor native pastures into good permanent pastures8 ,there are three possibilities in the light of our present knowledge4 ,on better soils good ,bermuda pastures can be developed1 or where the lands are moist1 as on most flatwood areas1 carpet grass may be used4 ,on the drier and poorer soils1 ,natal grass is the only one that has given much success4 ,how can ,bermuda or carpet grass pasture best be established8 ,the sure method is to stump your land and plow it1 and then plant the ,bermuda by the vegetative method in spring1 or any time thereafter in summer1 during the rainy season4 ,at the ,mc,neill station in ,mississippi1 located on land much like that of the northern tier of counties in ,florida1 they have developed the following method3 ,plow furrows about ten feet apart between the stumps in spring1 and stick in a root or sprig of ,bermuda about every ten feet4 ,at ,mc,neill it is found necessary to use a little fertilizer to insure the growth of these ,bermuda plants4 ,during the following winter the stumps are removed1 and then in spring the land is plowed and ,lespedeza seed sown4 ,enough ,bermuda has grown in the furrows to insure a stand of ,bermuda1 and this is supplemented by the ,lespedeza4 ,indeed1 the first season the ,lespedeza will furnish more pasturage than the ,bermuda4 ,lespedeza is rather a tricky plant in ,florida and is hardly worth consideration except in the northern part of the ,state4 ,on most of the ,florida flatwood soils carpet grass is much more aggressive than ,bermuda1 and in time will1 if left alone1 completely replace the ,bermuda4 ,to a large extent this can be obviated by plowing the pastures whenever the carpet grass seems to be obtaining the upper hand4 ,unfortunately1 we do not know the relative values of equal areas of ,bermuda grass and of carpet grass where the latter is most aggressive4 ,carpet grass does not grow so tall1 but is green for a longer period4 ,it may1 indeed1 be found more economical not to try to save the ,bermuda after the carpet grass crowds it4 ,from observations1 ,i am inclined to believe that neither the carrying capacity nor the feed values per acre of the two grasses is greatly different on most flatwood soils4 ,if this be true1 it would not be economy to go to any particular trouble to retain the ,bermuda instead of the carpet grass4 ,at ,mc,neill the pasturage on areas that have long been closely grazed is carpet grass4 ,unfortunately1 no experiments have been conducted to compare these two grasses as to ease of establishment and as to carrying capacity4 ,carpet grass produces abundant good seed1 and therefore spreads much more rapidly than ,bermuda1 which rarely produces seed in humid regions4 ,it is found necessary to remove the stumps at ,mc,neill1 because for the first year or two on the plowed ground1 weeds1 especially fennel or ,yankee weed1 appear abundantly1 and must be mowed or they will kill the grasses by shading4 ,mowing with the stumps on the land is impracticable1 as the weeds conceal many of the stumps4 ,whether it is practicable to establish good permanent pastures without stumping and plowing the land is yet an unsolved problem4 ,about every ,florida settlement where the town cattle graze1 there is good pasture1 commonly carpet grass4 ,you will find just this on the outskirts of ,jacksonville4 ,such pasturage has been established by heavy continuous grazing1 under which conditions the broom sedge and wire grass are exterminated1 while the creeping carpet grass comes in and persists4 ,it may be that the manure of the animals is also a factor1 and there can scarcely be a question that the trampling helps4 ,as an example of this kind occurs about nearly every ,florida town1 it would seem as if it could be duplicated on cattle ranches4 ,i have suggested to several cattlemen that it is worth trying on a scale by three methods3 7#a7 ,simply burning the native grass in winter2 7#b7 burning1 followed by disking or harrowing2 and 7#c7 plowing among the stumps4 ,if possible1 carpet grass seed should be scattered on each area1 and in all cases close grazing should be practiced4 ,unfortunately1 carpet grass seed cannot be secured commercially1 except in small quantities at high prices1 but it is easy to cut the mature carpet grass in fall from a pasture and cure the hay4 ,the carpet grass can then be sown simply by scattering the hay4 ,whether any of these schemes will work out satisfactorily still remains to be determined4 ,as to ,natal grass1 ,i have already mentioned that this succeeds better on the poorer and drier pine lands than any other grass yet introduced4 ,thus far it has been exploited purely as a grass for market hay4 ,on this basis many hundred acres were planted in ,lake ,county and elsewhere4 ,grass culture purely for market hay is a very precarious proposition4 ,the proper agricultural economy is grass for live stock1 selling only the surplus to the market4 ,notwithstanding the very large acreage planted to ,natal1 ,i have been quite unable to secure satisfactory data as to its value for pasturage1 measured in carrying capacity and satisfactory gains4 ,it seems to me1 from the slender data ,i have been able to secure1 fairly probable that ,natal will prove a valuable grass for combined hay and pasture on the soils to which it is so well adapted1 but of course it can hardly be expected to yield enough to justify the extravagant prices paid for land planted to ,natal4 ,prairie ,lands4 ,on the prairies of ,florida there is much better natural pasturage than in the piney woods1 and1 indeed1 it is on the prairies that the old type of cattle industry reached its highest development4 ,the prairies are in reality wet meadows4 ,their grass cover is due to water relations1 most of them being periodically overflowed--conditions that are inimical to pines and palmettos4 ,on the other hand1 the period of overflow is too brief to meet the conditions necessary for cypress and other swamp trees4 ,these prairies stretch from the border of the pine woods and palmettos on relatively high ground to permanently wet swamps4 ,the best natural pasturage consists of various species of paspalum and related flat-leaved grasses on the soils fairly moist during a large part of the year2 and maiden cane on still moister land1 or even in shallow water4 ,generally speaking1 the moisture relations of the more extensive prairies are nearly ideal for continuous pasturage in the varying seasons4 ,there is grave danger in any extensive drainage operations1 as palmettos and pines will quickly invade such drained land1 and thus destroy the grass4 ,for improved pasture on these lands1 particularly on those reasonably moist1 ,para grass offers great possibilities4 ,the remarkably rapid growth and high yield of this grass1 combined with its palatability and nutritiousness1 make it of prime importance in connection with better live stock4 ,para succeeds well also on the better uplands1 but1 generally speaking1 it is a grass for moist lands4 ,the farther south1 the more valuable it is1 as after frost it is of little value4 ,another grass that is likely to be very valuable on the prairies1 and1 indeed1 on the flatwoods and better uplands1 is paspalum dilatatum1 native to ,argentina4 ,this is perhaps the best of the paspalums1 and it is now widespread in the ,southern ,states4 ,unfortunately1 with us the seeds are largely destroyed by a fungus1 but good commercial seed is obtainable in quantity from ,australia4 ,muck ,lands4 ,on the muck lands the problem of pasturage is easy4 ,at least four grasses1 namely1 ,para1 ,carib1 ,rhodes and ,bermuda1 especially ,giant ,bermuda1 yield wonderfully4 ,the enormous area of muck lands in ,florida1 especially in the ,everglades1 can1 it would seem1 be utilized only with the aid of livestock4 ,while there may be some fairly difficult problems to solve in handling live stock on muck soils1 especially in the wet season1 there can be little doubt that grass and live stock will insure the permanency of these lands4 ,under continuous cultivation there is a constant shrinkage in muck soils1 but with grass and live stock this is nearly1 if not quite1 counterbalanced4 ,carib grass on muck soils is1 from limited data1 superior to ,para grass both in yield and quality4 ,on other types of soil ,para will outyield ,carib4 ,rhodes grass does wonderfully on muck soil1 and1 indeed1 on most rich soils4 ,giant ,bermuda is far coarser and more vigorous than ordinary ,bermuda4 ,it will succeed wherever ordinary ,bermuda will grow1 and1 in addition1 seems much better able to withstand flooding4 ,temporary or annual pasture crops are mainly important in connection with swine raising4 ,various systems of such crops have been devised to furnish successive pastures4 ,florida has a long list of such crops that can be utilized4 ,among them are oats1 rye1 rape1 sorghum1 peanuts1 cow peas1 chufas1 sweet potatoes1 corn and velvet beans4 ,under certain conditions the cattleman may have to utilize one or more of these crops1 but corn and velvet beans is the one that is the most important4 ,the story of the velvet bean is really one of the romances of agriculture4 ,introduced into ,florida about #ahge from some unknown source1 it first attracted attention as a forage about #ahij4 ,until #aiad it was but little grown outside of ,florida4 ,in #aiae the crop was certainly less than #a1jjj1jjj acres4 ,in #aiaf it had increased to #b1ejj1jjj1 and in #aiag to about #f1jjj1jjj acres4 ,the explanation of this remarkable increase was the finding of earlier sports4 ,three of these appeared independently--one in ,alabama1 two in ,georgia4 ,these early varieties immensely increased the area over which the velvet bean can be grown1 so that now it embraces practically all of the cotton belt4 ,these early sports of the old ,florida are most grown1 but the ,chinese velvet bean1 introduced by the ,department1 and the hybrids developed by the ,florida ,experiment ,station1 are important4 ,in spite of vigorous search1 the native home of the ,florida velvet bean yet remains unknown1 but it is probably in the ,indo-,malayan region of ,southern ,asia4 ,the importance of the velvet bean to the live stock industry now developing in the ,south can scarcely be over-estimated4 ,grown with corn1 it increases the corn crop year after year1 and besides furnishes a large amount of nutritious feed to be eaten by the animals when the grass pasture season is over4 ,it reduces greatly the cost of finishing of beef animals for market4 ,this year the velvet bean has been no small factor in helping out the great shortage of foodstuffs1 quantities of them having been shipped to ,texas4 ,finally1 it has resulted in a new industry for the ,south1 namely1 the manufacture of velvet bean meal1 which has already won for itself a large demand4 ,hay ,plants4 ,the problem of producing hay in ,florida is made particularly difficult by frequent rains1 except in the fall of the year4 ,the bulk of the hay now produced is from the crab grass that volunteers in cultivated fields4 ,in recent years much ,natal hay has been grown for market4 ,para grass hay is of good quality1 and ,rhodes grass of very fine quality4 ,other hays are made from cow peas1 cow peas and sorghum mixed1 ,mexican clover1 beggar-weed1 oats1 millet1 etc4 ,the subject of hay1 however1 is vital only to the city market4 ,to the live stock man it is of minor importance1 as silage furnishes so satisfactory a substitute4 ,ensilage ,crops4 ,corn is1 of course1 the standard crop for ensilage1 and its relative importance in ,florida is not far different from that in other ,states4 ,under certain conditions sorghums will yield greater tonnage than corn1 and the resulting silage is but slightly inferior4 ,florida possesses1 in addition1 a unique silage plant in ,japanese sugar cane4 ,the perennial nature of this plant and its high yielding capacity make it a cheap fodder to grow4 ,it may be utilized as green feed1 as silage1 as dry fodder1 or for pasture4 ,your own experiment station has published the best information we have on this forage4 ,as a feed for dairy cows there can be no question of its high value1 either green or as silage4 ,there still seems to be question1 however1 as to the relative value of ,japanese cane silage as compared with corn silage4 ,in ,southern ,florida the cane stays green all winter1 as a rule1 so that there is no necessity for ensiling it for winter feed4 ,it may well prove1 however1 that a supply of ,japanese cane silage will prove good insurance against periods of shortage even in ,south ,florida4 ,you may have noted that all the pasture plants ,i have mentioned are grasses4 ,very unfortunately we have not as yet any good perennial pasture legume adapted to ,florida4 ,i say unfortunately because1 as is well known1 the true grasses are nutritious in proportion to the fertility of the land4 ,that is1 the better the land the more nutritious the pasture4 ,but with legumes no such relations exist1 because legumes are not dependent on the soil for their nitrogen supply4 ,while we have no satisfactory perennial pasture legume1 we have one summer annual1 lespedeza1 that helps to some extent in ,north ,florida4 ,there are also two winter annuals that reproduce themselves in which ,i have considerable confidence1 namely1 burr clover and narrow-leaf vetch4 ,i believe that on many of the better pasture soils1 especially in ,north ,florida1 that these legumes can be established and that they will re-seed themselves year after year4 ,of course due care must be taken to secure inoculation1 preferably by the soil method4 ,the ,outlook for ,new ,forages4 ,what the future may hold in store for us in the way of new forages does not assist at the present time1 but it is worth considering4 ,it is well to bear in mind that the agriculture of the ,north1 with the single important exception of corn1 is mainly a direct inheritance from ,european agriculture4 ,substitute root crops for corn and you have in essence the ,european practice4 ,southern agriculture1 on the contrary1 is almost purely an ,american development--cotton1 corn1 tobacco1 sweet potatoes1 from the ,american ,indian2 cow peas1 ,rhodes grass1 ,natal grass and sorghum from ,south ,africa2 soy beans1 lespedeza1 ,japanese cane from ,japan2 carpet grass and ,para grass from the ,west ,indies2 ,bermuda from ,india2 velvet beans from ,southern ,asia4 ,northern forage plants have been pretty thoroughly studied both in ,europe and ,america1 because ,european conditions are fairly like those of our ,northern ,states4 ,but there yet remains hosts of grasses and legumes adapted to sub-tropical climates concerning which we know practically nothing4 ,out of very numerous grasses and legumes at present under test are several that possess promise1 and these ,i shall discuss briefly4 ,kudzu4 ,kudzu is not particularly new1 but it seems to me destined to a much greater importance than at present4 ,it is the only perennial forage legume that has in any sense made good in ,florida4 ,it is much better adapted to clayey soils than to sandy soils1 but it also succeeds remarkably well on the limestone soils about ,miami4 ,on the better sandy soils it would also seem to be valuable1 but on the poorer sandy soils and poorly drained lands it is doubtful if it has a place4 ,on clay soils at ,arlington ,farm1 ,va41 we have consistently gotten two cuttings1 totaling five tons of hay per acre--double what we can get from cow peas or soy beans4 ,i believe kudzu is entitled to a fair trial by every ,florida cattleman4 ,napier ,grass4 ,you have doubtless seen some of the numerous references recently in ,florida papers to ,japanese bamboo grass or ,carter's grass as grown about ,arcadia4 ,these names rest upon a misconception4 ,the grass is a native of ,south ,africa1 properly known as ,napier grass1 or ,pennisetum macrostachyum1 introduced by the ,department in #aiac4 ,this is a perennial much like ,japanese cane1 and in our tests is found hardy as far north as ,charleston4 ,it does well on rather poor soil and yields heavy crops4 ,in chemical analysis it is richer than corn in protein and carbohydrates1 but also contains three times as much fiber4 ,it is this high fiber content or woody character that makes me dubious about its silage value1 in which opinion ,professor ,rolfs concurs4 ,when two or three feet high it is greedily eaten by animals1 and so may be a pasturage possibility4 ,as a green feed crop it could be cut three or more times each season1 when three or four feet high1 and ,i am sure will prove a very valuable forage for the man with one or two cows4 ,whether it is a crop for the stockman is still doubtful4 ,in #aiaf we introduced a very similar species1 ,pennisetum merkeri1 which is perhaps a little superior1 though it is hard to tell the two apart4 ,metake4 ,the name ,japanese bamboo grass leads me to mention a true ,japanese bamboo1 the metake4 ,this is a bamboo that spreads by rootstocks and forms dense thickets ten to fifteen feet high1 much like cane brake1 and1 like our native cane1 a valuable winter pasture plant4 ,mr4 ,p4 ,k4 ,yonge has grown it with marked success about twenty miles north of ,pensacola4 ,it seems to me a valuable plant to furnish a supply of pasturage in winter1 when pasturage is practically gone4 ,it is worthy of careful trial on all well-drained ,florida soils4 ,tripsacum ,laxum4 ,last year we secured from ,guatemala a new perennial grass which1 if it proves winter hardy1 will1 ,i am certain1 be of enormous value to ,south ,florida4 ,this grass grows much like teosinte1 but is stouter and very much more leafy4 ,the stem is tender1 sweet and juicy1 and all the leaves remain green4 ,it is an ideal silage plant4 ,so far as ,i am aware1 our trial at ,miami is the first time this grass has ever been cultivated4 ,the few live stock men who have seen it went into ecstasies4 ,it may prove valuable1 however1 only for frostless regions4 ,creeping ,pasture ,grasses4 ,at the present time we have under trial five creeping pasture grasses1 more or less like ,bermuda in a general way4 ,you are1 of course1 aware that a pasture grass to be valuable should be able to spread naturally and must be able to hold the ground4 ,naturally it takes time to determine all these facts4 ,the five grasses ,i refer to are as follows3 ,blue ,couch 7,digitaria didactyla74 ,this is much like ,bermuda1 but produces abundant good seed4 ,for lawns and pastures it promises to be about equally as valuable as ,bermuda4 ,manilla ,grass 7,osterdamia matrella74 ,this is especially adapted to rather moist sandy lands4 ,it grows very dense1 and where it thrives should be valuable4 ,lovi-lovi 7,chrysopogon aciculatus74 ,this furnishes much pasturage in ,india1 the ,philippines1 and ,south ,china4 ,the seeds are very abundant1 and each sticks into the clothing like a pin4 ,but about ,hongkong it is used generally as a lawn grass4 ,it is well adapted to dry sandy soils4 ,if it proves well adapted to ,florida we can1 ,i think1 chance its becoming a nuisance1 because if it does thrive it will give much pasture4 ,nilghiri ,grass 7,andropogon emersus74 ,this is the only creeping grass of the genus ,andropogon 7which includes our broom sedges7 that we have yet found4 ,i secured it in the ,nilghiri ,hills of ,south ,india4 ,it looks promising4 ,kikuyu ,grass 7,pennisetum sp474 ,this is native to the highlands of ,uganda1 in ,british ,east ,africa1 and in ,south ,africa has created great interest4 ,it looks much like ,st4 ,augustine grass4 ,at ,biloxi1 ,miss41 it has succeeded well4 ,it looked very fine at ,arlington1 ,va41 but could not stand the winter4 ,this grass is said to be very nutritious1 and ,i believe that on the better soils of ,florida it will prove a real acquisition4 ,i mention these new things to give you some idea of what we are doing4 ,i might mention several others that look good to us1 but it will be time to speak when we have tried them further4 ,in brief1 we are scouring the earth to find grasses and legumes to meet ,florida's needs4 ,we have faith that the grasses and legumes exist1 if we only can find them4 ,gentlemen1 in closing ,i must say one thing more4 ,our country is at war--a war that will tax our energies and resources to the uttermost4 ,no more dangerous idea can be entertained than to minimize the task1 or to delude ourselves with the prospect of an early peace4 ,one important factor is food1 especially meat and wheat4 ,only an unusually favorable season can produce for us as much wheat as last year4 ,our meat and forage supplies are low1 because in times of food scarcity1 grass crops are necessarily sacrificed4 ,gentlemen1 you can do much to help increase the meat supply4 ,in developing your ranches to increase your output1 ,i want to urge as a patriotic duty that you increase your good pasturage and your winter feed supply as rapidly as you can4 ,i could not urge this in peace times1 because rapid development is never the most economical4 ,but in this time of stress you cattlemen can help the nation most by increasing your output to the maximum4 ,there is no other way for you to give to the nation that will count so much4 ,i therefore urge that you brush aside all questions as to the economically best method of increasing pasturage and forage1 and to devote all your capital and all your energy to doing this along any lines that are sure4 ,,florida ,,as ,,seen ,,from ,a ,,texas ,,standpoint4 ,address by ,w4 ,n4 ,waddell of ,fort ,worth1 ,texas1 before the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,association1 ,january #i1 #aiah4 ,mr4 ,waddell started to working cattle on the ,texas ranges in #ahge1 and has been in the cattle business for himself since #ahha4 ,he was chairman of the ,live ,stock ,sanitary ,commission of ,texas for four years1 and for a number of years has been the ,texas representative of the ,live ,stock ,exchange ,national ,bank of ,chicago1 and of the ,chicago ,cattle ,loan ,company4 ,after spending a week in ,florida during ,august of #aiag1 ,mr4 ,waddell returned to the ,state in ,november and spent considerable time investigating the opportunities for raising cattle4 ,this address gives his views on the advantages ,florida possesses as a cattle-producing state4 ,in order to understand or to be able to appreciate a proposition of almost any character it is necessary to approach it by comparison1 and in making comparisons touching ,florida ,i wish to state that ,i have traveled over the range of the five northern states of old ,mexico2 ,i have traveled over the southern part of the range belt of ,arizona2 ,i have traveled over about half of the state of ,new ,mexico and virtually all of ,texas1 and ,i find in ,florida conditions favorable to the production of live stock that do not exist in any of the states ,i have named1 which constitute the great range belt of the ,southwest4 ,in ,mexico there is very little water1 and water is very hard to get by digging1 the wells averaging from #aej to #a1jjj feet deep1 and in a great many instances no water at all4 ,in ,mexico they also have a great many animals that prey on the live stock1 such as panthers1 lobo wolves1 bears1 as well as the common1 ordinary coyote4 ,none of these have to be contended with here4 ,in ,arizona and ,new ,mexico about the same conditions prevail as do in northern ,old ,mexico4 ,in ,texas we have bears and sundry pests to prey on our live stock4 ,the prairie dog infests a great many of our ranches1 destroying the grass1 digging holes in the ground1 and making it dangerous for the cowboy to ride over in the pursuit of his range endeavors4 ,we have wolves of all species4 ,in ,texas we have also the screw worms that are a tax on the live stock producer to the extent of from two to five per cent of the calves born on his ranch1 and ,i am sorry to say that worst of all we have periodical droughts4 ,none of these adverse conditions ,i find prevail in ,florida4 ,here ,i find the country covered with a thick1 heavy coat of grass1 streams running with plenty of water and ,i understand where natural water is not available that it is only about from twenty to one hundred feet to an abundant supply of water under the ground1 making the proposition of watering the ranches in ,florida1 where artificial water is necessary1 a very simple matter4 ,the climate in ,florida is temperate and mild1 rainfall is regular and abundant1 and1 so far as the production of forage for live stock on the range is concerned1 your rainfall and your soils all seem to combine in favor of the producer of live stock4 ,i never was more amazed in my life than ,i was last summer1 when1 in company with a committee of other cattle men from ,texas1 ,i visited this state4 ,at that time ,i was shown over the southern middle part of ,florida2 was shown a great domain of country lying out of doors1 as it were and as we term it in ,texas1 furnishing free range for hundreds of thousands of cattle4 ,i did not believe my ears when ,i was told those conditions existed here1 and ,i can't understand yet why a state as old as ,florida1 with as many surface indications of possibilities for the production of live stock1 should remain unfenced1 unoccupied1 and non-revenue producing to the men who own the land4 ,another surprise that met us when we came to ,florida in the summer was the absolute lack of any improvement in the live stock that we found here4 ,in fact1 it is my judgment that the cattle in ,florida today1 from what ,i have read of the history of ,florida1 are not as good as they were thirty years ago1 and ,i am surprised1 when ,i think of the facilities furnished the cattle men of ,florida by the land owners for the grazing of their cattle1 that they haven't taken any more interest in their cattle than they have and tried to improve them4 ,florida today1 as never before1 is attracting national attention as a possible beef-producing state4 ,the eyes of the investing public are turned toward ,florida1 and it is my judgment that within the next five years ,florida will make greater strides in the development of the live stock industry than it has ever made before4 ,and ,i want here and now to issue a warning to you gentlemen who are running your cattle on the open ranges of ,florida that you had better get busy and get control of what land you expect to use as a cattle ranch1 for if ,i mistake not1 outsiders are coming into this state who will buy or lease these lands1 put them under fence and inaugurate a system of live stock production on an improved basis as compared to the present methods being pursued in this state4 ,and in this connection ,i wish to state that ,i have discussed this open range proposition with some of the largest land owners in ,florida4 ,they tell me that they want to see ,florida developed2 they tell me they are in line to lend their energies1 their time and their money to anything that will develop the ,state of ,florida4 ,after listening to them talk this line of earnest progressiveness1 ,i have put the proposition to them just like it was put to us in ,texas1 and that is1 formulate an equitable leasing proposition1 one that will safeguard the interests of the land owner1 and at the same time lend protection to the vested rights of the lessee1 and advertise that to the world4 ,let the people not only of ,florida1 but the people outside of the ,state of ,florida1 know that they can come to ,florida and at a small rental cost1 lease as many acres of good grazing land as they have money to get cattle with which to stock it1 assuring the prospective lessee that they will fence the land according to his desires and will build him a ranch house to live in2 that they will fence him a horse pasture to keep his saddle horses in2 will build him a dipping vat on the land1 and where necessary will bore wells and equip them with windmill and pump sufficient to furnish plenty of water for the live stock on the land so leased4 ,there was never any marked development or marked improvement in the live stock industry in the ,state of ,texas as long as the cattle ranged on the free grass1 but in #ahhd the ,legislature passed what was known as a ,lease ,law4 ,then it was1 gentlemen1 that the fencing up of the ,state of ,texas began in earnest4 ,no man was willing to pay lease on land and let somebody else's cattle graze on it4 ,and that is the first step needed to be taken in the evolution of better cattle in ,florida4 ,the land owners should fence up their lands1 cut them up in pastures to suit the men who want to run their cattle on them1 making the lands of ,florida revenue-producing1 instead of being a liability1 and put the cattle of ,florida under fence and under control wherein individual effort may develop in a desire to excel4 ,i can not stress this proposition too strongly4 ,i haven't the language to express the importance of putting the lands of ,florida under fence and the cattle under control in order that better cattle and more cattle may be raised4 ,the most important step looking to better cattle in ,florida has already been taken in the creation of a ,live ,stock ,sanitary ,board and the work incident thereto of tick eradication4 ,this work and the efforts of the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,sanitary ,board will be much more effective and easier of accomplishment when you get the ranges of ,florida fenced and the cattle under control4 ,it seems to me that ,florida has been overlooked4 ,i am led to the belief that the ,florida cowmen have been lulled to sleep1 as it were1 by the fact that they haven't been bothered by any outside influences4 ,in discussing the breeding up or improving of the cattle with a good many breeders whom ,i have met in this ,state1 ,i find that all voice the sentiment that they would like to raise better cattle2 that the ,state ought to produce better cattle2 and that it is a good cattle country4 ,florida is wasting approximately enough good pasture to produce a meat supply sufficient to feed several states by confining the quality of the herds to the little native cattle we saw on the ranges4 ,true1 we saw lots of cattle1 more than ,i supposed existed in the entire ,state1 but the opportunity before the cattle men is to breed up the quality and size4 ,that this can be done was demonstrated by some herds we visited1 and the reports on those herds show that this is a better cattle breeding country than ,texas1 for your owners are branding a larger proportion of calves to breeding cows in herds than we are able to get4 ,i am sure that good cattle can be raised in ,florida because ,i have seen them4 ,i am sure that good hogs can be raised in ,florida because ,i have seen them1 and on the question of the hog1 ,i wish to state that on the open range country of ,florida1 especially the southern part in the prairie country1 where there are hard wood and cabbage hammocks1 is the ideal country in which to grow hogs4 ,i made the statement when ,i was here in the summer that ,i believed a man could fence up a range of ten or twenty or thirty thousand acres in ,florida1 stock it with cattle and stock it with hogs1 and that ,i believed the hogs would pay the overhead charges of running the ranch1 and my observations here for the past thirty days traveling over the ,state have convinced me that that statement was not very much exaggerated4 ,there is no reason why cattle men should not make dividends on investments while breeding up the quality of their herds1 for this is a great cattle country4 ,i am very much surprised to find that sheep are not more generally handled on the ranges with the cattle4 ,the absence of coyotes make sheep raising particularly attractive1 and they will not injure the cattle pasturage if properly proportioned4 ,there ought to be several hundred thousand sheep on the ,kissimmee ,river ,valley ranges4 ,we handle large numbers of sheep and cattle together1 although our ranges are not nearly so good as those in ,florida4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in conclusion1 ,i will state that ,i think ,florida offers the best field for live stock production along improved lines of any ,state in ,america4 ,that is1 cattle can be raised here cheaper and with less uncertainty than any place ,i know4 ,a ,,glance ,,backward ,,and ,,forward4 ,annual ,address before the ,florida ,state ,live ,stock ,association1 ,january #h1 #aiah1 by ,dr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,blackman1 ,president of the ,association4 ,never before have we met in circumstances so extraordinary and under the stress of thoughts and emotions so many1 so various1 so conflicting and perplexing as today4 ,our minds are engrossed and appalled by the world catastrophe into which we have been plunged4 ,since our last meeting1 life for every man and woman of us has been changed in all its major aspects and fallen into disorder4 ,all the peaceful routine of our thoughts and habits has been upset4 ,our sons and neighbors are on their way to the hideous and heroic and bloody work abroad to which they have been summoned4 99 99 99 ,but disquieting as are the times1 the business of the stock raiser in ,america1 and particularly in ,florida1 was never on so sound a basis as today1 never so full of promise4 ,the exhaustion of domestic animals throughout ,europe and the increasing shortage in our own country are creating a demand which will insure for many years to come a profitable market for all the beef1 pork1 mutton and dairy products which we can supply4 ,definitely1 ,i think it can be said that there can be no danger of overproduction in these lines for a long time to come4 ,and for this industry1 which we may perhaps properly call the most ancient1 fundamental1 necessary1 stable1 wholesome1 honorable and delightful of all the occupations in which men are engaged1 ,florida has advantages of soil1 climate1 rainfall and location greater1 on the whole1 than those enjoyed by any other state of the ,american union4 ,this is being recognized in increasing measure1 far and wide4 ,the eyes of discerning and experienced men are being turned this way as never before4 ,inquiries by mail and visits of exploration from the ,north1 the ,west and the ,southwest have never before been so numerous as during the year which we are reviewing1 and our own people are awakening to the opportunities which lie all about them1 unused and inviting4 ,there are vast areas of cheap and hitherto waste lands in every part of the ,state1 lying open the year round to the genial and fructifying rays of a semi-tropical and sub-tropical sun1 which need only the expenditure upon them of money and labor to fit them for the support of herds and flocks greater than any other region can maintain4 ,we have every reason1 as we face the new year1 to take courage and to gird ourselves for the task of turning into reality these gracious possibilities which nature has spread about us with a lavish hand4 ,the past year has been signalized by one great achievement1 carrying two others in its train4 ,the great achievement to which ,i refer1 the greatest by all odds ever accomplished in this ,state1 is the creation by the ,legislature of a ,state ,live ,stock ,sanitary ,board and the appropriation of public monies for the carrying on of its work2 and the two consequent achievements are the beginning of definite1 determined1 statewide1 co-operative and adequately supported efforts to eradicate the pestilent cattle tick from all our borders and to control hog cholera4 99 99 99 ,and ,i venture now to say--and ,i say it with pardonable pride and great pleasure--that no state in the ,union has a more carefully considered1 better balanced and guarded1 and more rigid and effective law1 covering the matter of live stock sanitation1 than has ,florida4 ,perhaps a detail here and there needs to be amended and strengthened1 but1 on the whole1 the measure was a good one and is working well4 99 99 99 ,i may add1 finally1 that the ,state ,live ,stock ,sanitary ,board1 in the two great undertakings to which1 for the present and the immediate future1 it will1 of necessity1 chiefly devote its energies1 the eradication of the cattle tick and the control of hog cholera1 we are leaning heavily on two co-operative agencies4 ,the first of these is the ,federal ,government1 through its ,bureau of ,animal ,industry1 and the ,states ,relations ,service4 ,in ,dr4 ,e4 ,m4 ,nighbert1 inspector in charge of the work of tick eradication2 ,dr4 ,a4 ,h4 ,logan1 inspector in charge for hog cholera control2 ,dean ,p4 ,h4 ,rolfs of the ,university1 director of the ,experiment ,station1 in charge of the work in ,florida of the ,states ,relations ,service1 and the numerous assistants placed by the ,federal ,government1 under the direction of these three gentlemen1 we have a large body of capable1 trained and energetic experts1 whose co-operation with our ,board is of inestimable value to the ,state1 and whose maintenance costs us nothing4 ,the members of the ,state ,live ,stock ,sanitary ,board serve without remuneration1 so that we have in ,florida approximately thirty men who are engaged in promoting the work of live stock sanitation without expense to the taxpayers of the ,state4 ,it is fitting1 ,i think1 that this ,association should be reminded of this very great and very costly1 but nevertheless wholly gratuitous1 service which is being rendered to the interests which we represent4 99 99 99 ,so much for the past year2 now for a glance forward4 ,what ,i have just been saying indicates clearly the special work to which we ought1 in my judgment1 to devote ourselves in the immediate future--,i mean the complete and final eradication of the tick in every county in ,florida and the largest possible measure of control of hog cholera4 ,if we see clearly1 we see that these tasks are preliminary to all others4 99 99 99 ,fortunately the tick is a very weak and vulnerable enemy1 though so mischievous4 ,put all the cattle of ,florida through the dipping vat once a fortnight for five or six months1 and there would be no more ticks left in this ,state than there are snakes in ,ireland4 ,let us consecrate ourselves here in this meeting to the doing of this thing1 and doing it soon4 ,hog cholera is not so simple and manageable an affair4 ,in the micro-organism which causes this disease1 we face an enemy far subtler1 more cunning1 more elusive1 more persistent and more swiftly fatal than is the tick4 ,it escapes observation by the most powerful microscope2 it laughs at quarantine lines2 it flows in the stream2 it lurks in the pool2 it rides upon the foot of beast and bird1 the shoe of man1 the wagon's wheel2 it soars aloft on the buzzard's wing2 you can not catch and dip it4 ,i earnestly advise the formation of local live stock associations throughout the ,state1 at least one in each county affiliated with the ,state ,association1 and having special committees on ,tick ,eradication and ,hog ,cholera ,control1 composed of the ablest1 the most energetic and the most influential men in the various communities4 ,let these associations hold meetings at regular intervals for the free exchange of views and experiences2 let expert and interesting speakers from abroad bring to these meetings fresh information and impetus2 let there be added such social and entertaining features as may be available--music1 barbecues1 moving pictures1 boat excursions1 what-not--to attract the multitude1 relieve the monotony of farm life1 and increase neighborliness and good community feeling4 ,let the co-operation of the banks of the region be secured1 for the generous financing of pig clubs and corn clubs4 99 99 99 ,there is one other matter of prime importance to which ,i invite your attention4 ,if the live stock industry of ,florida is to be put on the most stable basis and developed with reasonable rapidity1 immense sums of money will be required4 ,fences must be built2 drainage canals and ditches must be dug2 improved and more nourishing grasses must be introduced over vast areas2 other great areas must be planted with forage crops2 silos must be built2 plows1 harrows and other expensive implements must be purchased2 horses1 mules and tractors1 herdsmen1 farmers and laborers must be secured and put to work in great numbers2 a multitude of pure-bred bulls and cows1 boars and sows1 rams and ewes1 stallions1 jacks and mares must be imported for the improvement of our native stock4 ,where are the necessary funds coming from for the financing of those enterprises8 ,perhaps the large ranch owners can take care of themselves1 but what our ,state needs above all things else is thrifty farmers by the thousand1 now on the ground or drawn from other states by our surpassing advantages of soil and climate2 where shall these secure the funds necessary for the development of their more modest holdings8 ,florida is a relatively new and scantily populated ,state2 there are here no great reserves of cash and securities1 accumulated and bequeathed by generations of toiling and thrifty ancestors1 as in some parts of the country4 ,many of the banks are doing their best to care for our live stock interests1 but the ability of our local banks--and ,i speak now as a banker--is strictly limited in this direction4 ,what we need in ,florida1 in my judgment1 as the very next step to be taken1 is one or more strong cattle loan companies1 such as flourish in the ,west1 whose sole business it will be to provide the funds necessary for the developments which ,i have mentioned1 so far as cattle are concerned4 ,this is a matter which will occupy us during one entire session of this meeting1 and ,i need not1 therefore1 deal with it further now1 except to say that the present time seems especially propitious for the securing of such funds as we need for this business4 ,men are asking how they may make safe investment of their savings in these troubled times2 the future of the railways1 now under ,government control1 is uncertain2 industrial enterprises have been largely thrown into abnormal condition by the war2 stocks1 bonds and other similar securities have in them today a considerable speculative element which gives pause to conservative investors4 ,but amid all this flux and uncertainty1 here lies the land1 as from of old1 unchanging1 peaceful1 fruitful1 a mother's full breast1 and upon the land feed and grow1 enriching and renewing it forever even as they feed upon it1 the friendly animals1 whose flesh and milk support our life from the cradle to the grave4 ,there is nothing speculative here1 and ,i am confident that investors1 perplexed now by the unheard of aspect of the world's affairs1 will be disposed to put their funds more and more into the soil and its products1 if they are shown the way2 and the cattle-loan company1 organized and administered by experienced and careful men1 can show them the way and lead them safely in it4 ,and now1 gentlemen1 we will proceed to the program our ,executive ,committee has provided4 ,i hope that our meeting together1 the messages which will be brought us from abroad1 and the various discussions in which we ourselves shall engage1 will serve to hearten us for our work and help us to feel1 amid the toil and perplexities of our daily task1 that in providing a more copious supply of food for the world1 in causing two blades of grass to grow where one grew before1 and in transforming these blades of grass by the mysterious and wonderful processes of nature into the thoughts and loves of men and women1 the orator's speech1 the poet's song1 the statesman's wisdom1 the soldier's fierce energy1 the mother's brooding care1 and the babe's new life1 we are doing our part to support and render more rich and worthy this wondrous human drama and are partners with ,god in the work of his earthly kingdom4 ,,florida ,,suited ,,to ,,extensive ,,cattle ,,raising4 ,texas ,ranchmen ,declare ,conditions ,ideal for ,cattle1 ,sheep and ,goats4 ,the impression made upon a prominent ,texas ranch owner who recently visited the great cattle ranges of ,florida was that ,nature has been too good to the cattle industry in this ,state to encourage improvement in the crude methods of breeding and handling stock which have been in vogue for years1 for the cattle owners have made money without trying4 ,among those who spent a week during the latter part of ,august inspecting range conditions were ,m4 ,sansom of ,fort ,worth1 president of the ,cassidy-,southwestern ,commission ,co41 director of the ,federal ,reserve ,bank and owner of large cattle ranch interests4 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,sansom expressed his impression of ,florida's opportunity for raising cattle in these words3 ,the only trouble you have in ,florida1 ,nature has been too good to you4 ,if it had done half as much for ,texas the ,government officials would not now be worrying about the future meat supply for the ,united ,states and our ,allies4 ,i have seen ,texas when the cattle were no better than the grade ,i have seen on this trip4 ,we started twenty-five years ago to improve our herds and stayed with it1 until today we furnish some of the best breeding and feeding cattle for the ,northern ,states4 ,florida now has very great advantage over pioneer ,texas1 as you can get some of our good breeding stock and make rapid progress breeding up your herds4 ,the ,osceola ,cattle ,co41 in ,osceola ,county1 has started along right lines1 and the manager gave me some figures on calf production which show that his herd are producing a larger percentage of calves than we get in ,texas4 ,but your luxuriant range grasses and abundance of stock water are almost unbelievable4 ,your range will carry from three to ten times as many cattle per section as the ,texas land in a normal year4 ,and when ,i say normal year ,i want you to remember that sometimes the rain clouds forget all about ,texas for months at a time1 and then our ranges suffer from drought1 as large sections of them are doing at this time4 ,you have a sheep country as good as exists1 and a goat country better than any other4 ,it is too bad that you do not raise more sheep on your ranges1 for they do not hurt the cattle pastures1 eating only the tender blades down under the more mature grass4 ,we run thousands of sheep on our cattle ranges in ,texas4 ,the goats will be a distinct benefit to the ,florida ranges1 as they do not eat much grass when they can get underbrush1 briars and weeds4 ,by having those cleaned out of the pastures the grass will have a better chance to grow4 ,i am informed that ,florida does not have to combat coyotes1 which are our worst sheep enemies1 so you really have no serious losses to anticipate on your sheep investments4 ,and yet there are very few sheep on the ranges we have visited4 ,it is to be hoped that your cattlemen will use more sheep on the ranges4 ,the range country should become the calf incubator for the ,southeastern ,states1 the offspring being sold at weaning time or as yearlings4 ,that will give your ranges a larger carrying capacity for breeding stock and let the grain-producing sections do the finishing4--,from the ,manufacturers' ,record1 ,sept4 #ac1 #aiag4 ,,cattle ,,raising ,,in ,,florida4 ,as ,i ,saw it on a ,thousand-mile ,tour of the ,central ,part of the ,state4 ,by ,a4 ,c4 ,williams4 ,wasn't it ,saul who went out in search of asses and found a kingdom8 ,you men who are familiar with the ,bible can answer that4 ,but ,i can testify that ,i1 while not in search of asses1 duplicated ,saul's experience during the past month1 when1 in company with ,m4 ,sansom1 ,w4 ,n4 ,waddell1 ,caesar ,kleberg and ,tom ,t4 ,east of ,texas1 ,dr4 ,l4 ,j4 ,allen of ,oklahoma1 ,geo4 ,m4 ,rommel of ,washington1 ,p4 ,l4 ,sutherland1 ,c4 ,l4 ,gaines and ,j4 ,g4 ,boyd of ,florida1 ,i had the pleasure of a thousand-mile trip through the central part of the ,state of ,florida4 ,nature has been very kind to ,florida1 providing delightful climate1 fertile lands and adequate rainfall for farming purposes2 broad prairies1 carpeted with succulent grasses and watered by running streams for live stock raising2 timber galore for sawmills1 and countless beauty spots beckoning to tourists4 ,but the citizens of that ,state have been slow to take advantage of their opportunities4 ,agriculture in many sections has been a neglected art4 ,practically all of the foodstuffs1 including grain1 meat1 butter and eggs1 have been produced outside the ,state4 ,colonization companies have devoted their energies to boosting orange orchards and truck gardens 7the poker game of agriculture71 and little organized effort has been made to attract farmers and stockmen of tireless energy--the backbone of any community4 ,among the neglected industries1 none stand out more conspicuously than stock raising4 ,the native cattle1 inbred1 stunted specimens of doubtful origin1 have been turned loose on the free1 open range to rustle for themselves1 and little effort has been made in most sections toward breed improvement4 ,due to the mild climate1 good range1 adequate water supply and absence of screw worms1 coyotes and other pests1 they have survived4 ,and with open range and no expense they have been very profitable4 ,in our entire trip we saw only two or three flocks of sheep and goats4 ,they were of better quality than ,i had expected--fairly good for mutton1 but light on wool4 ,a new era is dawning for the cattle business of ,florida4 ,the war has forced a reduction in the exports of turpentine and rosin1 and the large land owners are turning their attention to improved stock raising4 ,a packing house has been erected at ,jacksonville4 ,systematic tick eradication is being carried on4 ,large tracts of land have been fenced and stocked4 ,hundreds of well-bred ,texas cows and registered ,hereford1 ,angus1 ,shorthorn and ,brahma bulls are being purchased1 and the work of breed improvement is growing in popularity4 ,good feed and forage crops can be grown in most sections1 and with this new movement for improved live stock will come deeper interest in agriculture4 ,the chief forage crops now produced in that ,state are corn1 velvet beans1 ,japanese cane1 sorghum1 cow peas and beggar-weed4 ,the first three perhaps take the lead4 ,the corn and velvet beans are planted together1 in rows from four to six feet apart4 ,the beans grow very rank1 producing an abundance of good hay1 and beans which are high in feeding value4 ,the beans may be left on the vines for pasturage1 or gathered and ground into bean meal1 which is excellent for cattle feeding4 ,japanese cane resembles our ,texas ribbon cane4 ,it makes good silage1 keeps well and is highly relished by cattle4 ,the ,florida beggar-weed grows as a volunteer in old fields of a light sandy soil4 ,if cut at the right time it makes good hay1 and1 while it is rather bulky for silage alone1 it is said to add greatly to the fattening value of silage4 ,corn and cow peas need no introduction to our readers4 ,the most common grasses are several varieties of paspalum or carpet grass1 switch grass1 wire grass1 little blue maiden cane and ,bermuda4 ,crab and ,natal grass are volunteers which follow crops on sandy soils4 ,both ,guinea and ,para grasses thrive in ,south ,florida1 where less liable to injury by frost4 ,fort ,thompson grass1 which resembles giant ,bermuda1 with larger joint1 stem and leaf1 is a native of ,florida1 which will some day be recognized as one of their very best pasture grasses4 ,with their open range and native cattle--a poorer grade than our old-time longhorn--the cattle business of ,florida today may be compared to that of ,texas twenty years ago4 ,what they need is more bulls and experienced cattlemen who will apply the intelligence1 energy and persistence that know not failure4 ,leaving ,kenansville at #h3ae1 we were soon out on the ,kissimmee prairie of thousands and thousands of acres of open range4 ,here1 where the grass was very luxuriant1 resembling a hay meadow1 we saw several hundred more of the small native cattle1 followed by the common scrubby bulls4 ,the fat four-year-old steers weighed around #eej pounds1 and are valued at #cj per head4 ,the cows weighed around #ejj pounds4 ,the range herds of mixed ages and classes are valued at #bj per head4 ,we soon left the public highway1 circling marshes and dodging palmettos4 ,our next stop was on ,gum ,slough ,ranch1 where we were told that on a pasture of #aj1jjj acres there were #f1jjj cattle4 ,the ground was well covered with carpet and a variety of other grasses1 and did not show the effects of close grazing4 ,the cattle were in good condition and of better quality than most of the others which we had inspected4--,from ,the ,cattleman1 ,september1 #aiag4