LIVE-STOCK


ties that compose Northern Florida, they do splendidly.
Everything is in their favor-climate, food, water, soil, and
markets. The northern part of Florida, it should be borne
in mind, is not a tropical fruit region, but for stock-raising
of the easiest, most profitable kind, it can not be excelled
by any section of the United States.
 Cattle-raising has long been one of the principal and
 most profitable of all the many resources of Florida, and
 strange as it may appear, it is most extensively carried on
 in the extreme southern portion of the State. There is no
 doubt that Northern Florida is unexcelled for catdSi
 although at present, and for many years past, it has been
T"moBextensive in the southern part, on the Gulf. Punta
Rassa, at the extreme soutliern-end of Charlotte Harbor, is
the third port in the United States for cattle-shipments;
and the vast savannas, or prairies, in that region, are grazed
by thousands of heads. Cattle-herding is about the easiest
occupation in the State, but it takes capital to start in it,
and it requires time to develop it. As to the grade of cat-
tle, it is the same as with the hogs-the native breeds are


small adxtmely unpromising in appearance; but as
in the case of hog this is all for lack of care and breeding,
an where high-grade, blooded cattle are introducedaniTd
are attended to with anything like the attention given by
Northern stockmen, they do just as well-as anywhere, and
involve far less expense and labor.
 It is often remarked as strange by the visitor to Florida,
and is undoubtedly true, that in a State where cattle abound
and may be kept almost for nothing, such a th-
milk is almost uxprocurable In the remotest districts,
canned milk brought from the North is constantly used;
and in a herd of cattle numbering hundreds there is not a
single milch-cow. This, however,- is due to the "custom
of the country," and not to any difficulty that is encoun-
tered in keeping good milch-cows in Florida. There as else-