The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-08-03

lnals as those oil l0flia are to-day. No
pasture in the world will improve
''scrub" stock, and under like conditions
a thousand years If pasturage on the
hast blue grass ot kentucky would not
improve Florida cattle, or have done for
the Texas herds what ten years of grad
ing up has done. In his comparison
with Texas cattle the writer will 20
further and SAY that the Florida animal
is altogether superior to the native Texan
in the flavor eli his meat. The writer is
not alone in this opinion. I'm competi-
tlon in the cuban market the Florida
steer fetched "A higher price than the
Texan SOLELY ON acrOunt Of superiority
in flavor.
When the Texas ranchuen began to
improve their stock, by the use of graded
bulls, decade ago, Texas COW auI calf
could he bought for twelve dollars.
Within six yeaIs the price ot the same
had risen to thirty and thirty-tiye dol,
lars, and the wealth which poured into
;hat state from tin. increased value of her
cattle was without parallel in the his
tory of Amerlra, Before the huifllos'
bones had been gathered from he plains,
Texas could boast that her western towns.
which had been crrated by, and wcfe
wholly supported by the cattle trade,
were per capita the weaithlhst in the
I nlted States, and that her cattle kings
hal established "A new ORDER Of aristoc-
racy.
In this prosperity the value of Texan
grasses could claim M share; they We're
Just the same as when IA few years pre-
viously Texas cattle were killed for
the prosperity WAS due solely 10 the use
Of short horned bulls. These lmpart
volume AMI quality to the stock more
than any other known animal. The short
horn bull possesses that marbled condl-
tlon Of flesh which from the butchers
point OF view constitutes the high grade
animal being interpreted, il means the
presence of fat cells in the l,an of the
flesh; without 1t all meat Is hard and
leathery. and comparatively tlaNorless.
Corn feeding might add outside fat to
the Florida steer, but IL he were stuffed
like Il Strasl'urg goose from his birth TIL
his death, not IA cell Of such tat would
In found in the flesh of his carcass.
The importance Of this subject luatl.
Ties u little detail.
In lsS2 there were shipped from Key
West 16,29l cattle, which realized $40
900. The same year New York shipped
.,2 AZ cattle, Of the value Of SI,,s,22, 900,
the relative prices being. Florida $40 per
head and New York S!D..2 per head.
This wide disparity Indicates the posi-
be expansion in the cattle trade. and it
must h. remembered that the greater
value Of the superior animal ~ further
increased by J." ing achi,ed in n shorter
time. a well graded steer will reach
maturity in about one half the time Of II
scrub beast
Florida haa AN advantage over Texas in
AN abundance of natural shelter and wa
ter at all points. which enables her to
tlse up all her pasture and affords great
safety rs "A winter range. According 10
the most reliable authorities. the cultiya
ton Of forage plants and artificial grass
could In successfully conducted in this
state. bermuda and Para grass are an
acknowledged success, and 50 are others
of their fraternity, AMI il ~ believed that
alfalfa could also he grown IT, alyan-
tagr.
ILuEipNS POSITION.
With n full knowledge Of the western
States and Territories, where it takes
from ten to- fifty acres to support a steer,
the writer ailirms coniilcntially tlat
there is nothing whatever in Florida to
prevent her attaining a. great success
from her cattle rs any achieved by the
most fortunate cattle State. She is bet
ter placed rs tn markets than Texas, be-
ing, as already stated. within a thousand
miles of the most distant, whereas it is
probably safe to say that every hoof of
cattle which leaves Texas travels from
two to three thousand mites before it
reaches its ultimate market. cntallug
great outlay OF trelghtage and at least
ten per cent loss 10y depreciation. When
the Texas cattle trade was IN the same
stage as that of Florida ut present, it
cost half the animals value to get him
to market.
Florida has the opportunity now of
doing what TcNas did ten years ago and
with greater profit. If she were wise
she would concentrate every energy into
this cattle business. Tn. cattle Of the
State are ut present simply 'canners,
or simply fitted for canning purposes.
Their very absence Of fat is An element
in their favor for that trade. IA the eat
tie improved III grade Florida would be
Yin by meeting all the demands of her
own State. Within five years of the in
PRODUCTION of good sires the beef would
bc equal in quality to that shipped from
| the North tor our hotels. Within two
generations, or say four or five wears.
Florida cattle would not be- recognized
rs such. As the trade developed an ,x-
port business would he cultivated. but
the growing population of Florida would
III itself call Tor large supply. But cat
/ tie have a value to Florida beyond that
which they weld ut the butchers block.
! The greatest mistake that ever Texas
made was that of sending her animals
/ alive ont Of the state instead of for
| warcling their rarCaSses in rrfrigcratlng
cars. Florida has hitherto adopted the
| same course. Both States made an error
| IN not retaining the lesser rs we'll rs the
greater profits III their own hands. Tn,
/ hides. horns. huofs. hair. and beyond all
the blood aminunlatcs for terttllIlng pllr-
poses, represent industries that either
State could I'LL afford tn throw away. 1t
/ i difficult to conceive that an intcll-
/ gent state like Texas could have been ST
/ blind to her own interest. Instead Of
maturing and Strengthening her cattle at
| home and keeping all the hides. horns,
| hair and blood amluonlates in her own
State and 81 multiplying both her indus
/ tries and her profits, she scrt the cattle
/ by devious routes To Chicago. carrying
with thcm those fertilizers which are the
! Anr,. LIN 1f H., GnnIl.,rI IAl.Anf NJ IaInL