The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1898-02-12
4 Stock Argument

the na me o. common sense, WHY
must we be haunted by the low
moaning, and the enumerated
forms of hungry cattle: Does it
sound big to say, Il own five,
fifty or a hundred head Of cattle
What a lean, starved, sick, sad
looking set. Is it any wonder
Florida beef is compared to sole
leather, cast iron, etc: If man
owns five head Of cattle and has
from twenty to q hundred acres,
why not fence in a few acres,
SOW bcggar weed (Florid2 clover
and pasture his stock and after
haying, raise corn, fodder, vans
and other tuberS, until pasture
again returns. 1t would repay
/ ten-fOld in a few years. Better
stock, milk, butter and beef,
worthy the name, and growing
in value. There should be q law
written or unWritten that would
compel the fencing Of animals
owned, and an offence to keep
more cattle than could b cared
for Work, yes, but is it not by
the sweat Of the brow man is
fed: This work will become a
pleasure as well as profit. With
how much more pride you point
out five sleek, well fed COWS,
than twenty-five, lean walking
skeletons, whose bones the very
buZzardS must be ashamed to
peck. How cruel, how inhuman
to allow these animals, SO many
Of them to die the slow PAIN of
death of starvation. a mcrciful
man is kind to his beasts. Still
people who love Florida this
harrassing sight of sick, dying
stock, is not all. The grass must
be burned every year, SO every
night at this season of the year,
blazing timber is seen from all
points Of the compass. Do the
people realize that ever the grass
is getting hungry. Let an acre
grow for several successive years
and see the improved growth.
Is not this evidence sufficient for
a thoughtful person. Then, too,
| NAV not this WaStcful destruction
Of immense quantities OF young
! timber, be one Of the causes of
! the now constant recurring colds
or freezes: This killing Of tender
young trees which should be
growing to protect us from winds
and colds. Every man who kills
five trees should be compelled to
plant at least two forest trees.
In the progress Of events trees
must be felled, land cleared, but
how small the number compared
to the quantity killed by fire.
Then the irreparable loss of wild
flora to the state. This terrible
sacrifice for what: Stock that
gives neither milk nor beef, are
not fit for use. Will Florida not
awaken to these things until it is
too late. What will Florida be
worth in few years without the
health giving fragrance of the
pine: Let a man consider thesesug-
gestions conscientlOusly leaving
out if he pleases the angry dis
cusslOns of loss by stock depreda-
tiOns, fighting Of friends, and even
the taking Of life for this worse
than useless stock. No man lives
for himself alone. 1t is our pleas
ure as we'll as a duty we shall be
held accountab bic for, to provide
in a measure for future genera
tons. Are we not allowing if not
helping to rob our children's chill
dren. Is there not enough prin-
ciple in Florida to prevent these
evils, for evils they are. The
man who plants a tree or makes
two blades of grass grow where
there was but one, is a benefactor
to mankind. What is the man
who hews down a hundred trees
and burns a thousand, and who
will not even for his own comfort.