The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-06-13

ana water plants just as the hefds
OF buffalo grazed on the prairies
of the West. The buccaneers OF
the eighteenth century were ac-
customed to replenish their sup
plies by a raid ON the manatees /,
they held the flesh in high esteem,
and also used the skins for strenu-
Gus work, including thole straps
for their oars.
at was easily caught but with
the increase of white population
it was slaughtered by them mere
ly to kill living things, a habit yet
prevalent. With suitable care and
protection the manatee could be
increased and made valuable use
Of There is no reason why herds
could not be easily kept in con-
finement in lagoons and rivers OF
Florida as private proerty.
"The manatee, popularity called
| the sea COW, is a docile easily do
mesticated animal, resembling a
longlong-bodied seal in appear :
ance. 1t attains maximum
length of Is to 18 feet and weighs
from 1000 to 1000 pounds. 1t is
not fish, but mammal. 1t has
tail fins, nc hind legs, and the fore
legs are swimming paws. 1t breecS
in small lagoons, and produces
one or two calves at a birth, the
family commonly consisting OF
four-the adult pair, one hall
grown, and the young calf, when
| is generally born in the autumn.
"The animal is perfectly ino1-
fensive and unable even to resist
attack. Its survival in the strua-
gle for existence seems to be due
to the fact that it stays in shallow
water, where it is safe from enc
mics like sharks, and, being una
bic to go on land, it escapes fall
| ing a prey to fiesh-eating animals
of the land.
1.-The manatee is now under the
protection Of the law, the Florida
Legislature of 1907 having i'm
posed fine of $500 for killing
one, There are now manatees in
the rivers and lagoons on both the
Atlantic and gulf coasts.
"The natural food for this ami
NAL is manatee grass, technically
known as Cymodocea Manatorum.
1t has stems from four to five feet
long, which grows freely in the
mild waters of the Florida penin-
sula. The value of this grass as
forage seems to be high on analy-
Sis, quite as much, it is said, as
cowpea hay. Such a plant might
be given further investigation for
extended cultivation.
"The writer concludes that the
manatee can probably be easily
and proftably reared in the warm
shallow waters of the southern
states which are now unproduct-
i've.
"A manatee will apparently
furnish as much meat as a large
Northern steer; will possibly in
crease as rapidly as cattle; can be
more easily cared for and NAV in
volve less expense. Manatee breed
ing as commercial enterprise in
the lakes and rivers where the eli
mate is warm enough looks like \
profitable and feasible undertak-
ing.
Herein is argument in support
of the claim that an acre of water
will produce as much food as
acre Of land.
"The possibilities of nature are
wonderful. Three of the worlds s
greatest staples, corn, potatoes
ana tomatoes, were unknown to
the white races until after the dis
covery of America, and then only
in an imperfect or half-wild form.
Old people will remember when
the tomato was considered poison
Gus. The development of these
products to point where they
have become Of enormous econom-
ic Importance is proof that a vast
number of things on the land and
in the water, now little regarded,
can be made useful beyond the
widest dreams. Don't ring of.