The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-09
For THE FLORIDA AeRrcULrURrsr.
Hay and Forage in Florida.

Hay and Forage in Florida.
learn from one of the largest hay deal
ers in Jacksonville that at least fifteen
Thousand tons of Western, Northern and
Eastern hay pass through that city every
year. When we add to this large
amount the hay received at Fernandina
st. Augustine, Key West, Tampa, Pensa-
cola and other seaports in the State, it is
very reasonable to suppose that the con-
sumption of foreign hay in our State,
yearly, amounts to at least thirty thou
sand tonsl This seems an enormous
quantity for sparsely populated COM
monwealth like Florida, in which. a large
portion of the people are land owners and
tillers of the soil; but fear it is too true
Let us sum up the cost of this vast
amount of hay, and inquire into the pos
slbllity of checking such a ruinOus ex-
penditure of money.
Thirty thousand tons of hay, at $19
per ton (the average cost to the dealer)
amounts to $54O,OO0; but the cost to
the consumer, who buys small quantities,
may be set down at $25 per ton; which
brings the whole expenditure for this one
article to seven hundred and fifty thou
sand (or three-quarters Of a million)
dollars
That a considerable portion of this
large amount may be kept in our own
State by proper enterprise and manage
ment, | fully believe; and | crave space
enough for a few suggestions as to how to
do it.
When we reflect that Florida is so fa-
vored in the way of climate that she can
produce a greater variety of plants than
any other State in the Union; and that,
by the exercise OF the foresight
and industry, we can have some green
crop growing every day in the year, the
folly and shame of sending such vast
sums of money out of our State for an
article like hay (Or forage), which we can
produce SO abundantly and SO cheaply at
home, is at once apparent.
''But," the reader may say, edo you
believe we can possibly raise all our own
hay and forage and keep imported hay
out of the State, entirely?"
Yes, / reply, believe we have the land
and the climate to do it; but | am not
sure we yet have the men. Still, it lis very
encouraging to read in one of my Florida
papers, that "Mr. j r. Gregory has saved
over thirty tons of fine crab grass hay
from the Lakeside grove, north of De-
Land" 1t is easy, Mr.. Editor, foryou to
verify this statement; and if it is correct,
you have at your own door one example,
at least of laudable thrift and enterprise
am not disposed to advance any Wis
ionary or untenable ideas in regard to
this matter, nor to be at all over-sanguine
as to the possible results; SO will only,
at this Uime, offer few hints and sugges-
tions as to the plants which we can make
available for hay and forage; leaving the
proper mode of cultivating and saving
the crop, to be discussed hereafter.
PLANTS.
For merchantable hay, to be baled
in Northern style, we have, as yet,
only few varieties of suitable plants,
among which we name Bermuda, Texas
bluegrass, Lucerne Cor Alfalfa), our
native crab or crop grass, crowsfoot and
cow-peas. Other and and cOarser grasses
and forage plants may be proftably cul-
tivated for home use, among which are
Guinea grass, Para grass, Kafir corn,
Milo maize, Pearl millet, DhOura corn,
common sweet corn, the straw of rice
stalks and leaves of Spanish peanuts, rye,
oats, etc. Many grasses and plants are
also being introduced from the East
Indies and other countries possessing a
climate similar to our own, and some of
these now on trial are quite promising.
LAND.
On going into hay and forage raising,
as a business, the quality and clay" Of
the land must be closely attended to,
in order to succeed. A piece of rich creek
IN ,.xynr hrN4+O,1o IN. q u,o1l od cUsa mn