The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-09-01
GOOD STATE
FOR CATTLE
Proved Facts Which Show a
Deal of Promise for
Cattle Raising
The Tampa Tribune says:

Inc 1dnpd tribune says:
In the early days of Florida, during
the 40's and sos, the ruling price of
stock cattle was So per head, and at
that low figure their owners became
money men and foundations were laid
for some snug fortunes. Although
stocks were increasing, the price al
so increased, so that from 1870 to
1882 steers brought an average price
of $3.50 per head, and no less than
100000 were exported from one Flori-
da port. During the two wars in Gu
ba, $12,210,000 were received by
Florida range men for shipments
from Punta RasSa alone. The total
exports of cattle from the United
States to the West Indies, Windward
and Leeward Islands, aggregated the
enormous sum of S143,008, 900. But
leaving off the duty of feeding these
islanders, our own citizens are eat
ing 10000 head per annum, and will
consume twice the number, il pro-
vision is made to have them ready
for the butcher every month in the
twelve
Prof. H. E. Stockbridge,, late of the
Florida experimental station, recently
said before the Southeastern Stock
Growers Association:
In the growing and feeding of cat
tie, land is the largest single invest
ment. Cheap lands, therefore, are in
dispensible to the success of the bus
mess. This is historic as well as
economic fact. From biblical days
the cry of the herdsmen has been for
cheap lands.
The cheapest lands now remain
ing in LAe United States adapted to
the production Of cattle food-stuffs are
the 'cut-over,' pine lands Of the Gulf
states. The same economic condt
lions which have brought cotton mills
to the cotton fields, will, in the near
future, as inevitably transfer the great
cattle industry from the high-priced
lands of the corn-belt to the cheap
denuded forest lands of the wire
gras' south. Millions of acres of these
lands, perfectly adapted to grazing
and the growing of abundant crops,
now lying in all the unattractiveness
following in the wake of despoiling
sawmill and turpentine still, are now
available to the stOckman, at prices so
insignificant as to be hardly worth
quoting. Already large areas are be-
ing devoted to this business, the cen
ter of which must eventually move
from the west to the south.
-. The climatic conditions offered
by this section are necessarily i'm
portant in ontrolling results.
Among these conditions, that of
temperature is doubtless the most i'm
portant. Food is used in the animal
economy for two purposes. First. for
maintaining growth and supplying an
nual wastes. Second, for keeping I'D
the necessary heat OF the blood This
latter function of food is accomplished
by actual combustion. The amount, Or
proportion of food used for this pur-
pose depends pm surrounding temper
allure, in other words the colder the
climate the more combustion and use
of food Is required TO maintain animal
heat, exactly as is the case with the
consumption or fuel for keeping any
place Or article warm.
The practical bearing of this fact
Is demonstrated in actual feeding ex-
periments, which show that 10 DAYS
of feeding in our climare accomplish |
essentially the same results attained
in 120 days in the feeding sec. -ons of
the time and expense of feeding are~
diminished 41.6 per cent by our ia |
vorable climate alone.
In addition to this saving of food |
must be considered the far less ex-
pense for shelter, and the saving in !
labor in the matter of care and feed |
ing
SO. Whoever is at all familiar with
the disastrous results of drought in |
the western cattle sections will appre-
ciate the blessings of adequate water
supply. Everywhere in our territory.
rivers, creeks, springs and clear lakes
supply ineXhaustible quantities of the
best water. Moreover, in most parts
of this entire section, the purest OF
artesian water is available within
easy reach of the surface, furnishing
bountiful supplies of flowing water
No stOckman among us need ever
haul water miles from muddy, drying
creeks, nor eXpend a fortune con-
structing dams and earth reservoirs
for the outstanding of rain and inferior
surfac water. No cattle owner in all
this region represented in this conven-
ton need ahve before his eyes the
horror of seeing his herds falling dead
around exhausted water holes.
81. We have now been in session
two days, yet we have hardly heard
mention OF the existence of cattle dis
eases common to all other stock, sec
tiOns. When asked by a stranger to
mention cattle, one of our best inform
ed stock men can conjure up nothing
more terrible than the common black
fly. prevalent wherever cattle congre- |
gate in numbers.
"5 All other advantages enumer-
ated would be of little use could we |
not show the possibility of producing /
abundant and economical supplies of |
Feedstuffs
In Florida, we have for practical |
cheap feeds the following crops nam
ed in order OF Importance: Velvet |
hce
weed, sweet potatoes and cassaya.
The last named crop is one Of the |
most valuable, but expense in cultiva-
ton and feeding reduces its practical
utility.
Our experimental station has said: |
IF the crops mentioned above could
be saved and fed to animals as want \
ed, there would be enough protein in /
the velvet bean Zone acrel To la a