The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-08-07
STALL FEEDING CA TILE.

| larger towns OF the State nave good rea-
son to complain ct their beef supply, and
even in these towns during the summer
when the Importation of the northern
meats is discontinued the meat supply
is not at all satisfactory In other words
the cattle taken from the Florida ranges
do Tot make irst-class beef. This
| is generally admitted and it is not our
purpose at present to discuss the where
fores and why's of the case. Everyone
who has eaten Florida beef taken direct
from the range will admit that it's
quality cou.d be much improved.
At different times the plan of stall
feeding cattle taken from the ranges has
been tried and the result was every
thing that could be desired. The meat
from these cattle was tender, juicy and
delicious in fact superior in many re-
spects to the Northern meat for several
reasons In the first place the refriger-
ated Chicago beef sold in the towns of
Florida is not always SO fresh as it
might be, and in many cases it has a
decidedly bad chemical taste, which we
are informed is caused by being kept in
poorly ventilated refrigerator. How
ever this may be the ceef is very un-
pleasant to many, and is has the further
disadvantage of being very expensive.
The ruling price, we should think, when
retailed, was in the neighborhood of
eighteen cents per pound and the price
for choice cuts ranges even higher
We have paid as high as twenty five
the average orange grower Can afford, to
say nothing of the not always satisfactory
quality Of the article.
Now the best Florida beef retails at
prices ranging from seven to fifteen
cents per pound, and the dealers claim
that they make more money on this
meat than on the imported article; the
only trouble Is that the beef is not what
it should be, and people who can afford
it take the Northern beef in preference
even with it's Objectionable features.
We think that more attention will be
given in the future 60 our meat supply
and the matter of stall feeding, in fact
this is indicated in the following which
we clip from the Barlow Courier Infor.
mant:
We understand that Mr. Lyle is contemplate
ing going largely into the business of feeding
cattle and hogs for parties who desire it and for
himself. He has thousands of hay, forage, corn
peas, etc, which he has raised this year. and
thinks he make better use of it by stabilized
ing stock than any other way.
This is move in the right direction. The
quality and quantity of our beef and pork can
be largely improved in this way and we trust
that there will be concert of action among our
people in this matter. There is no reason why
we should not have good meats here as any
where in the world and if the stock cat tie are
fattened at home on such of our field products
be spared we will see the needed and
wonderful Improvement
One reason that this plan has not been
tried more extensively in the past is
that the food for the cattle was too
expensive. Formerly it was thought
necessary to purchase it abroad, and of
course it would not pay in this case,
but as our people have turned their at
tention of late to the matter of producing
at home what will be necessary to make
as fine beef as can be had anywhere, we