Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-12-13

| children. 10 is by no means easy to pro-
cure II in London. "Purveyors of asses
milk" there are in almost all parts of
the metropolis; but the goats milk trade
still stands in need of development. In
the first few months of tbs present year,
indeed. IL seemed as if it were
| about to assume considerable pro-
portions. A French peasant, wear
ing blouse and the foreign equivalent OF
the Scotch bonnet, began to drive flock
of goats up Long-acre, diverging into
the courts and alleys off Bow Street and
Drury Lane. He spoke no English, and
even his French was a patois; yet he
contrived to make it understood that his
business was to sell penny-worths OF
goats milk TO any one who cared TO buy
In short time he had instituted reg
ular "milk-walk." which extended al
most in straight line from Leicester
Square to Lincoln s-Inn-Fields. The
news of his prosperity travelled all the
way to the goat-farms of the Pyrenees,
and in short time he had three rivals,
who, paying no regard to MS vested in.
terests and probably having no concep.
ton of the vast extent of London, COM
peted with him on his own ground.
Goats milk became drug in the
market. The rival dealers, after period
OF cut-throat competition, went home
again, leaving the original goats milk
merchant to enjoy their discontinue.
With his six large goats he every morn
ing makes the tour of the district to
which he was attracted on his first ar
rival. 1t is remarkable that he goes into
the poorer streets by preference. His
receipts are almost all in pennies, and
may be calculated at about eighteen
pence for quart of milk. Two quarts
seem to be about the average yield of
each of his six goats, so that his takings
may be reckoned at eighteen shillings a
day, which to French peasant must
seem almost like the wealth of Pactolus,
even though it is earned by two hundred
separate milkings of his herd.
1t is not surprising that the expert
ment of this adventurous Frenchman
should act as spur to English enterprise.
Before long it is probable that it will be
as easy for all classes of Londoners to
procure goats milk as to obtain any
other luxury. In one of the prettiest
spots in Surrey, on the crown of the
wooded hills which stretch from Dorking
to Guildford, regular goat farm has
been established TO supply the London
market. The experiment is almost
unique, for there is no other goat farm
within reach of London. As beginning
the farm has been stocked with 107 milch
goats, with two other for stud purposes.
They are MIXED morning and night by
man, but in spring they will be MIXED
thrice daily. 1t is tedious operation,
and takes up good deal of time. Goats
are awkward to milk, they will not yield
to stranger, and by the time they are
rcconciled to new mixer they have
partially "gone off, for want of strip
ping. The average yield per diem of
each goat is not more than three pints
Two quarts is regarded as yield over
the average, but there are goats which
exceed this, and when more regard is
paid to the selection of stock the average
yield may be enormously increased
There is no doubt about the demand
If they could supply two hundred gal
Ions instead of two hundred quarts a
day, it would all be taken up, at prices
varying from eighteenpence to two shill-
ings a quart. Whether one quart of
goats milk is worth as much rs three or
four quarts of cows milk, from dietetic
point of view, is, we should think, open
to dispute; but there is no doubt that it
brings as much money in the open
market. 1t is therefore probable that the
goat farm near Dorking, and the Pyre-
mean goat-herd with his Pan-pipe, may
prove to be the pioneers of a great and
flourishing industry Mall Gazette.