8 Bulletin 827, U, S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



ing has revived during the last few years, and following the eradi- 

 cation of the cattle tick there has been a rapid increase in the number 

 of cattle. . 



Widespread use of the velvet bean for winter forage and feed has 

 done more to increase the number of cattle than any other factor 

 except tick eradication. In many sections cattle have been increased 

 solely for the purpose of utilizing the enormous crops of velvet 

 beans, which could be marketed in no other way. 



SIZE AND QUALITY OF CATTLE. 



The native Piney Woods cattle are of very inferior quality, small 

 in size, of poor conformation, and are what the feeder would term 

 " cold blooded," as they do not respond readily to feed. Although 

 these cattle are compact and show a good dressing percentage when 

 fattened and slaughtered, the weight is too much forward, and there 

 is a small percentage of valuable cuts. Mature cows average about 

 400 or 500 pounds, and steers from 3 to 5 years old average from 

 600 to 750 pounds. 



The following table shows the average live weight of cattle 

 slaughtered at Jacksonville, Fla., New Orleans, La., and East St. 

 Louis, 111., during 1918: 



Table 2. — Average weight of cuttle slaugJitered at three markets in 1918. 





Class of cattle. 



Jacksonville, 

 Fla. 



New Orleans 

 La. 



East St. Louis 

 111. 



Canners 



Cutters 





Pounds. 



! 462 



1 462 



m 



Pounds. 



525 

 600 

 750 



Pounds. 



.730 



745 



1,000 







1 Very few mature native sieers slaughtered and no separate record kept. 



Table 2 furnishes an interesting comparison of the weights of 

 Florida cattle and those of cattle of the Piney Woods farther west 

 with cattle received at East St. Louis, one of the larger markets for 

 cattle from a large territory. Canners and cutters at Jacksonville, 

 Fla., were nearly 100 pounds lighter than at New Orleans and more 

 than 200 pounds lighter than at East St. Louis. Few native steers 

 were slaughtered at Jacksonville, but they were at least 300 to 350 

 pounds lighter than those at East St. Louis, or 150 pounds lighter 

 than at New Orleans. 



The greatly increased interest in better cattle is shown by the 

 fact that out of 65 head of pure-bred Hereford cattle sold at public 

 auction at the Kansas City Royal Show in 1918, 18 head were from 

 Piney Woods herds. That most of the cattle went to northern breed- 

 ing herds, whence the original stock came, is evidence of their merit. 



