The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-07-17

breeding pen built adjoining the
fenced-in lot There Lavender Lad
has passed nearly two years OF his
life. When a COW is to be bred she
is led into the breeding pen, crude
oil IS brushed over the chest, belly
and legs of the bull, and after service
he is at once returned to his quaran-
tine pen. All this extraordinary effort
ir order that the best OF the blood
of the breed may be introduced into
the dwarfed and scrawny native stocks!
Does the record of the industry pre-
sent a duplicate? -
eve have kept him this long, Mr.
Goodwin said Mr.. Chambl1ss as we
stood admiring the bull HE cost
us ST 900, including the expense OF the
quarantine pen, and the trouble we
take. But we have one crop OF calves
by him and the COWS are settled again
to his service, and we figure that any
further use we get from him IS all
"velvet" If he lies down and dies
from tick fever we are ahead of the
game
That was in March. Word now
comes that Lavender Lad has the
fever lightly, despite all the extraord1-
nary precautions taken to protect him.
But the indomitable spirit Of these
pioneer breeders will eventually tr1-
umph over the world, the flesh and the
tick.
The ShOrt-horn as the cosmopolitan
improver has written no more con-
vincing demonstration than in Florida.
We have studied the crosses OF this
breed from one to four on p1ney woods
cows In three crosses the eccentr1-
cities of bovine form for generations
inbred in the native are wholly OBJ
liberated and the resultant offspring
will pass muster as high-gra IN
any herd The betterment that is
wrought in one cross is altogether
remarkable and a total transformation
can be accomplished in three. The
Aberdeen-Angus has also made cred
table record, and cattle Of this breed
are being taken into Marion county.
S. T. Sistrunk, one of the county Of
hcials, is founding herd near Ocala,
and DR.. E. B. Guerrant has been tax
ing down some "doddies" from Ken
lucky to Mcintosh.
Note should be made of the re-
markable possibilities in feed produc-
ton for growing cattle and finishing
beef. The velvet bean is the wonder
plant of Florida. It's production is
marvellous and it's nutritive value high.
1t grows we'll on all dry lands, but
does best on the sander, cheap soils.
It requires but little cultivation and
needs not to be gathered, as the bean
keeps we'll on the vines and is best
fed in the fields This plant is adapt
ed only to Florida as a forage pro-
position, but is used as a fertilizer
as far north as Virginia, an experiment
having shown in it a value of SIS
to $I8 per acre as nitrOgen-gatherer.
The beggar weed comes after the
corn has been laid by, and recent
writer's from the Southland have told
of it's remarkable value as a forage
crop Nature is surely prodigal Of
production for the Florida stock farm
| er.
Time fails to tell of the astonishing
development Of swine industry in THAI
state. Ocala and several other towns
have pork curing establishments. The
razor back is doomed. Herds of
Berkshires, Duroc-Jerseys, Chester
Whites and other breeds have taken
root and conditions are SO favorable
to their maintenance that the move
ment is already we'll under way that
will wipe out that peculiar native type
which has long been the object OF
derision in the porcine world And
then the spring lamb proposition: there
NAV be more favorable ODDOrt11nitieS