The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-04-22
Che farm and Grove.
Copyrighted BY Rmai Press Syndicafe.
II. E. STOCKBRIDGE, PHI. D., Editor.
QUALITY OF FLORIDA BEEF.

Many persons not actually person
ally familiar with the quality Ofprop-
erly fattened Florida beef, have rath-
er secuted the claims of those who
have asserted that it was equal to
that of the best prOpuct of the corn
states. A few of us have been called
enthusiasts, and the proof of the
higher prices of our best product ov-
er Chicago beef in many local mar
kets has been looked on as the result
of ignorant prejudice.
At the recent Interstate Cattle
mems convention in Jacksonville,
the writer was so fortunate as to fur
nish bit of evidence, which rather
turned the laugh on the skeptics, and
forced evidence Of ignorance and pre-
judice upon those who have been
wont to apply these expressions to
the advocates of the possibilities of
successful and superior beef produce
ton in Florida.
The Chicago packers are universal
ly acknowledged to be the best judges
of quality in beef, and the Chicago
article is the accepted standard of
the world. Among Chicago beef men
the name of Armour stands promi-
nent. Armour has a great distribut-
ing warehouse and headquarters in
Jacksonville. From there he sends
out to the trade all over this section
monthly trade circular and.price
list. This neatly printed pamphlet
for last February was embellished on
the outside, by very attractive cut
of porter-house steak on platter.
This was used to advertise the
character of the meats supplied by
Armour, an illustration of the super
Tor quality of product supplied from
Chicago.
twas rather a set back to the OPP
penents of Florida beef when | eX-
hibited copy of this circular side by
side with a copy of Bulletin 49 of the
Florida Experiment Station, written
by me five years ago, and showed
that the Armour cut was IA facsimile
reproduction of an illustration from
photo taken by me, from a COM
mon Florida cow, fattened on cassa-
va and cotton seed meal, the product
of feeding native range animal for
70 days on native feed stuffs. In 9TH
er words, to advertise the superior
quality of Chicago beef and demon
strate the quality he offers, Armour
takes an illustration from cut of
beef taken from a we'll fed, common
Florida cow.
Verily, it now seems to be time for
certain detractors of FlOrida's resoNr-
ces, to take good long walk to the
rear, and requiescat in pace.
THE PEACH HARVEST.
This year will probably witness the
marketing of the largest crop Of
peaches yet produced in Florida.
Hundreds of thousands of trees,
moreover, are not yet in bearing, so
that for the next few years the crop
of the state must naturally annually
increase. This means that Florida
is in the near future to become one
Of the recognized producers ofpeach-
rs in the country.
Our location and natural conditions
are peculiar, and will result in giving
rs a practical monopoly of the early
neach market. l do not mean by
This that we are to produce only ear
IL varieties, but that our season is so
r,uch i'm advance of that of other
peach growing sections, that till the
hotter varieties of Georgia peaches
are in their prime, in July, we are to
dominate the markets for good, ripe
naochps. Two points are suggested
by this fact.
First. Being naturally earlier than
any possible competitor, we should
resist the temptation to plant and
market varieties whose only recon-
mendation is a mere external appear
once of superficial ripeness' We do
NOT have to resort to such worthless
varieties in order to be first in the
market. We should therefore con-