The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-02-26

O66 but every year we are making
wonderful progress IN controlling
disease and In getting more and bet
ter hogs.
There is perhaps nothing more es-
sential to Florida agriculture than
the Improvement of our horses and
mules as well as the increase in num-
Der, The average weight of the ma
ture farm horse in the United States
is 1908 pounds. Washington, the
most northwestern state of the Union
has the highest state average 1880
pounds seconded by Maine, the most
northeasterly state, at 1895 pounds.
Florida, the most southeasterly state,
has the lightest weight horses, aver
aging $50 pounds Mature mules on
the farms Of the United States aver
age 956 pounds. Washington again
leads with LILO pounds, followed by
Oregon with LOO pounds while Flor
ida's average drops down $40 pounds
The average number OF horses to the
plow in the United States is 2.7, while
in Florida the average number Of
horses, worked to one plow is is.
South Carolina. Mississippi and Ala
bama use less horses to the pillow than
Florida. Georgia uses the same. All
other states use more horsepower
than Florida. North Dakota leads
with as horses to the plow. CALI
fornia, state similar. to ours in pro-
duction comes second with AZ horses
to the plow. North. Dakota's. farm
horses average 1890 pounds; her
mules average 1,o4O pounds; Califor-
MAS horses. average. 1895 pounds;
her mules LOGS pounds. Only six
states use less than two horses to the
plow and Florida is one of them.
Strange to say that the state that
uses the fewest horses to the ploy
also uses the lightest horses. The
deeper we plow the more humus VIC
can mix with the soil. the more hum
us we mix with the oil the more mois-
ture we conserve and fertility we
have. Then surely we need more
horses and mules, and heavier ones
in Florida.
"Buf'd Up the Ranges" Is AdmonitlOn
"The farms of the United States
had, on January 1, 1920, 215,760, 900
, head of live stock, decrease of
2,664,000 or IL per cent. Hogs
showed a decrease of 1,675,00O or 2.2
per cent; milk cows increased 272,-
| 000; other cattle decreased 100000;
sheep decreased 2510O0; horses and
mules decreased $4,000. The per
capita consumption Of all meats, 1872
pounds; expectation of all meats is
over 1900, 100000 pounds. With a
r consumption Of 1872 pounds Of meat
J per capita, per annum, and an expor-
| tation of over thirty pounds for every
man. woman and child in this coun-
try, and with the herds Of Europe de-
, pleted by the war and our number OF
live stock In the United States show
: ing a decrease there Is no reason why
we should not grow more and better
live stock.
II am sorry that the tourists and
home seekers coming into our state
no not always see the splendid herds
of pure bred hogs and cattle. Florida
is importing millions Of pounds Of
meat and meat products annually
, Then let us prepare for growing live
, stock by sowing more grasses ant
. takinug better care of the ranges
. No grass no live stock; no live stock
! no fertility; no fertility-starvation'
i Mr.. McRae also attended meet
v ing at Fort Myers where the question
o of improving the waterways Of tina
: community was discussed by the citi
: zens with the United States engineer
q for this district. He also made
y stop at the celery city Of Sanford am
g | said things looked good there Jack
t | sonville Times-Union.