Edited by Spessard Stone from George W. Hendry’s Polk County, Florida Its Lands & Products (1883), pages 7-11.
The cattle are of the breed known as the scrub stock. But little improvement has been made in the breed, and but little is required. The coarser and rougher the stock the better suited they are to the heat, rain, flies, and mosquitoes. Improved stock could not undergo the neglect and exposure that does the common stock. Nearly every effort to keep improved stock in South Florida, even when left to run at large and exposed to all kinds of weather, has failed. We believe, however, that better breeds crossed with the scrub, and cared for by sheltering, with field pasturage in fall and winter, would prove a success, but as it is just now, we think $100 invested in common stock will pay better in milk, butter, beef and manure, than will $100 invested in improved stock.
The beeves raised on the wild range will go for three hundred and fifty to four hundred pounds net at from three to four years old, and sell from $15 to $18 at Punta Rassa (shipping point in Monroe County), but when butchered and sold in our home markets, from six to eight cents per pound.
The gathering season begins about the first of March and continues until August. Cattle run at large and scatter and mix with the cattle of other owners, which interests every man alike who owns cattle in each section of the country.
Those who own cattle on a range meet at some designated place on the range for gathering and marking. Every owner has a mark and brand differing from others, by which means he readily recognizes his own cow and marks the calf accordingly; by the same mark he knows his own beeves. After meeting with a horse, a pair of saddle-bags, a wallet, a spur and a long whip, with a day or two rations, they march out and commence herding. When a sufficient number is congregated, they drive to the pen and mark and brand the calves, and if the steers are needed on the market day, they are sorted from the stock cattle and are watched by one or two of the party to prevent rambling off.
The stock cattle are turned out again on the range, and another herd is hunted, and so all through the season. There may be a half dozen parties out at the same time in different sections, pnning at different places, each party holding up for the other and marking, by which means it can be carried on rapidly. The cattle are never fed winter or summer, but graze on the prairies, which afford pasturage inexhaustible.
When cows get old, they are sold to butchers at from $10 to $12 per head; they are good beef, if fat. Cattle raising pays from fifteen to twenty per cent. The increase is about twenty calves for every hundred head inclusive.
Hogs
The razor-back or the long nose wind-splitter, or the Devil’s left-bower, just as you choose to call him, is the kind mostly raised in Polk County. Not quite as expensive to raise as it is to buy bacon.
Running at large gives them access to swamps and marshes. In the marshes they get wampee, a root similar to the arrow; it grows wild, and its burning and prickly sensation to the mouths of persons make it almost unbearable even to touch with the tongue, and will hurt a pig so bad that it will make him squeal; yet, hogs will eat it and get fat from it. It is the principal food for hogs on a wild range.
The water and live oak bear many acorns in the swamps, while the turkey oak and black-jack bear heavy crops on the hills, on which gruff feeds most gorgeously. Hogs are fed just enough to keep them gentle until time for fattening, when they are put in a ea patch, after which on potatoes and nubbin corn until mid-winter, when they are butchered, the bones being taken carefully from the hams and shoulders, the ribs from the middlings and salted down. It makes good flavored bacon and meets with ready sale.
The prices are always governed by the Western market, ranging here from ten to eighteen cents per pound. There is not raised enough in Polk to supply the demand, and Western bacon is bought by many of Polk’s inhabitants.
We predict a short lease of privilege for gruffy, as much prejudice prevails against him, many preferring that he should peep out through the cracks of the fences rather than to peep in.
An introduction of some of the Poland Berkshire has been made, and I believe the results have been satisfactory.
We think that with the advantage here of the great varieties of crops that can be raised for hogs, that any person can, with trifling expense, raise their own bacon.
Sheep
But we think that sheep raising will pay better. At present, it exceeds cattle raising in proportion to capital invested. In almost any range, unless too low, sheep will thrive where cattle will and increase much faster. The percentage above cattle will justify the raising of sheep, as sheep will do well on a range that cattle has worn out.
The sheep here, like the cattle, are of the scrub stock-are hardy, tough and keep very fat in winter and summer. This branch of stock raising is attracting more attention than formerly, and I think it will be one of the paying interests of South Florida
After cattle have grazed over a range for many years, it leaves it in a better condition for sheep than when in its primeval state, the land producing more herbage and the grasses, too, are different and better suited to sheep.
Up to the present, no sheep have been raised for shipping, but are kept to supply home demand and add to the numerical strength of the herd.
Sheep sell from $2.50 to $3.00 per head. Wool, from twenty to forty cents “in the dirt.”
We do not think that an improved stock of sheep will thrive here. I feel safe in saying that improved cattle, hogs, or sheep will not thrive here under our present mode of management.
I would not advise any immigrant to invest much before experimenting. A shrewd manager could determine on a small scale what would be necessary on a large one.
Horses
While there are not enough horses raised here to near supply the demand, what are raised, the mode is pretty much the same as with cattle.
The native pony stock, with small ears and small feet, well muscled, coarse hair, thick skin, tough as whalebone, from medium size to small, easily kept, fond of grazing, and just suited to a pioneer life.
The common American horse is larger than the above mentioned and are raised around farms.
The colts are fed on corn during the winter, allowed to graze in the field in summer and fall, and on the “burns” in the spring.
Many very valuable horses have been raised in Polk. They grow to a good size, are already acclimated and altogether as serviceable as horses brought from Kentucky or Tennessee. To raise good horses good care must be given them here as well as elsewhere.
The next to mention is the little Cuba pony, which is suited better to the saddle than anywhere else, being a natural pacer. They can travel long distances with ease to themselves and riders. They are of a lank, slabsided make-show to be weakly constituted, but are hardy enough for ordinary purposes. Their principle fault is their “ground starts,” which results to the rider with only a skinned nose with a small coat of dirt and mire, and with the certainty that their horse is still on hand. They live by grazing, and when crossed with the native pony, make hardy and serviceable animals.
The Mexican or Texan ponies are ambitious, fool hardy and unsafe as work stock; however, if broken when young and once acclimated, are good animals. They are of medium size and seldom very fat. A gallop seems to be their natural gait, and when once well broken to the saddle, they stand the cow drive well and are prized by their owners. They are shipped to South Florida by the boat load, as well as the Cuban, ranging in value from $50 to $100. The Texan is harder to acclimate, and many die from change of climate after arriving in Florida.
The raising of horses in Florida has not as yet supplied the demand, and many are brought from Tennessee and Kentucky, which generally meet with ready sale, with profit to the sellers.
Mules
Mules have never been in much demand until recently, as fruit growing and agriculture increases, the demand for mules tend upwards. Prices vary, all the way from $75 to $200, according to size, age, quality, &c.
Oxen
Oxen have been used for heavy draft, as our transportation was “per ox team” from Tampa to Fort Meade and Bartow at one cent per pound. During the season for shipping oranges, the roads are crowded with ox teams, the only way of getting them to market.
However, mules and horses have been enlisted in the arduous task, while all combined will fail to transport the heavy crops which the trees of Polk will yield within two more years.
This article was published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.) on July 17, 2003, 4B, as “History: Raising Stock In The 1880s.”