The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-05-05
The Foes of Il Florida Farmer.

Lie EOtS vi a. IOE1uH FARMER.
Editor Of The Florida Agricultmist:
Their name is legion. Birds, in.
sects, the ordinary pests OF the north.
ern farm are not unknown in the
south, but their Importance sinks into
insignlticance when compared with
larger if not more subtle enemies.
"Salamanders," "gophers" and moles
perforate the ground in every direc.
tion, killing the roots of growing
plants and "toting" off such tooth
some dainties as sweet and Irish pota-
toes, beets and carrots. Coons and
'possoms lie in wait for the growing
corn, and as soon as it reaches the
''milky" state, away it goes, swept off
at most unexpected rate into the
boards Of the unreasonable depre-
dators. There is no way to circum-
vent these rascals, and as to exter-
minating them, why II have my
own private opinion that there are
more coons in the State of Florida
than people.
And then there are the rabbits.
The havoc they will make among
early vegetables, in single night is
something appalling. But we have
learned how TO get the better of
these customers, at least. They can.
not leap barrier three feet high, and
close paling of that height, encir-
cling ones whole plantation, will
keep them out. 1t will not, however,
keep out our neighbours OK nor his
ass nor his pigs nor anything else
that is his and as we have no cattle
law in Florida, as YET, a tive-foot,
cattle-proof fence must, pertorce, sur
round our cultivated land at a cost
often much greater than the land it.
self.
But there is one foe to successful
farming in Florida to which all 9th.
ers must yield the palm. 1t is, /
grleve to say the "man ...sa.-ss-l-;ey,,
nroLner.7 aunse will not keep
him out, nor tive.foot fences stop his
progress and one feels some COM
junction, slight indeed though it may
be, after a short experience, against
using strichnined apples, steel traps
and the other means by which we
defend ourselves from salamanders,
goDhers and such like. Tartar
emetic, skillfully introduced into a
watermelon, has been deemed to be
not without its benefits but even the
most youthful darkey seems to be
gifted with prescieuce by which.
on the darkest night, he discovers
that melon has been tempered with
and with regard to other things we
have not even the helps OF tartar
emetlc. / do not know what pad
lock, however cunningly contrlved
can keep colored man out of chick
en- house or pig pen, and there arr
even graver losses than that OF al
occasional pullet or rooster"
planted a small patch OF sugar can
year before last, close by the house
intending to raise seed enough for
large cane planting the next year
"What are you going to do with tn
cane 2" asked my "Cracker' torema
when the time for harvesting came
"Plant it,"
"And where will you plant it ,"
designated the field, one lying a
some distance from the house. A
expression of doubt came over Tom
face.
Don't you call that good can
land ?"
"There Amt no better in the coul
try, but-too far away-the darl
ies'll run it all of, shore"
"Where shall l plant it themes
the house ?"
THAT land Amt nigh so good.-N
l wouldn't put it there"
"Well, where would you put it ?
"Well, 1 don't guess Id plant cal
at all; the darkies are shore to to-
it all off"
And when my cook, with read
interest in all my experiments, asl
what am going to plant i'll the ne
grove of young orange trees, l me
ton sweet potatoes, and see the san
doubtful expression stealing over h
face.
n Dey'll all get grabbed, shol
l. faint no use to plant potatoes so +
" from the house."
~ This seems quite too bad. am