286 THE CHIEF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL CROPS 



up the fertility of the soil and neither the knowl- 

 edge, the inclination, nor the means for embarking in 

 stock breeding. In those sections where the farmers 

 own and work their own lands attention is being 

 rapidly turned to more diversified farming and the 

 production of home food supplies. 



In Cuba and other parts of tropical America the 

 cattle industry has long been an important one. 

 Here cattle graze throughout the year and receive 

 no feed, aside from the luxuriant pasturage. If 

 means were taken to improve the breeding of these 

 herds and some provision were made, which might 

 easily be done, for growing some forage with which 

 to supplement the pasturage during the pinch of the 

 dry season, the beef from these wonderful Guinea 

 and Para-grass pastures might quickly become an 

 important factor in the world's markets. 



A word in regard to each of the more important 

 kinds of live stock must close this very inadequate 

 treatment of a most important subject. 



Horses and mules thrive well in all parts of these 

 Southern countries. They are subject to no serious 

 diseases that are not familiar at the North, though 

 horses when first taken South require a few months 

 in which to become acclimated before they are fit 

 for very heavy work. 



The heavy draught breeds of horses do not seem to 

 stand hard work in hot climates as well as mules, and 

 for all heavy work these animals largely take their 

 place in Southern countries. Millions of dollars are 

 spent annually by Southern farmers to buy mules in 

 the middle West. Even in tropical regions the 



