The Florida agriculturist., 1889-02-20
For THE FLORIDA AGRIcULTURisT.
Stock Raising in Middle Florida.

While there is little to boast OF III the
way Of fine stock for general purposes in
this section, there is not much to abuse
thatI am aware OF but the carelessiess
OF a good many men in the treatment OF
their stock. Most men who deserve to be
called farmers have very fair general-pur-
pose horses, mules, hogs and cattle.
Horses are not raised to the extent they
should be; neither are mules, but the
number is, on the increase. Many line
Berkshire hogs have been brought from
Tennessee and Kentucky for the renewal
of the old stocks brought here in the early
settlement of this county. Not every man
who raises hogs produces all the meat ne
uses, though many do. One reason OF
this is that so many colored laborers and
their families have to be supplied by the
employers that more meat is required
than the farmer is willing to risk raising
hogs to supply. Hog thieves are plentl-
full, and then the cholera strikes us once
in a while, and men do not care to have
so much to lose-unless there was life
insurance to be obtained.
In the wire grass regions are some hogs
known to us as "piney-woods rooters, ?
alias "razor-backs." These are Il nuisance
anywhere. Five acres of grOund-pea8
and ten bushels OF corn would hardly fat
ten one, and it would not be fit to eat il
it ever got fat The planting of the Span
ish peanut, on account OF it's maturing SO
early, will go a long way towards increas-
ing the meat production, as those designed
for fattening can be taken of the range
so much earlier.
The grading OF Jersey cattle is coming
to the 'front.' in no mean degree, and we
hope the work will go on, for weneed more
and better mixers. Some Of our best
farmers have been improving their stock
for many years past. The ordinary stock
kept for family use is, OF course, better
than those known asran9e cattle. There
seems to be no inclination to raise the
standard Of the latter, as they are only
kept ornumbers and for beef Thousands
have been shipped to Cuba and Texas
1t was thought thatb crossing the Texas
with the Florida breeds healthier and
more hardy strain might be obtained
While there are thousands OF cattle here
we have no cattle kings. Very few peo-
pie keep the best pure-blooded stock un-
der fence at all times. In summer the
grass in the woods is sufficient to keep
them fat from May until the frost kills
vegetation in the winter. Along the water
courses the winter range is fair, the ten
der canes furnishing forage that is more
than enough to sustain life during the
winter, provided there are no freshets to
drive them out OF the swamps. In that
case many are lost, unless the supply OF
cotton seed has not been sold to the oil
mills.
Sheep husbandry is engaged in by a
comparatively small number Of farmers,
but those few find it pays better than any
other industry requiring double the out
lay Of money and labor. Sheep can only
be kept in very sparsely settled districts,
from the fact that every white man and
darkey feels it duty to keep a number
Of worthless dogs to torment his neigh
bors. As the depredations OF these mis-
erahle creatures are committed at night