Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-01
Vote. from FInriIn.


Editors PAoRi1: One thing that pleases q
new conner is the native COW, and especially
the manner Of caring for and the amount Of
milk obtained from her. The cows receive
little or no attention except at miking-tme,
when they are herdod and secured in yards or
stalls The native southerner will laugh at
| you when you seem surprised at the small
amount of milk obtained, only about quart
being secured at a milking, and, as near as I
can find out, much less than a quart on an
average. The process of milking consists in
letting the calf suck on one side while the
milk is being drawn from the other into a
| bucket or pail held of at arms length. This
method does not seem to please the COW, and
unless you keep your eyes open the first thing
you know you will DO picking yourself up
from off the ground. No sitting down to
milk, except as above described. As to the
quantity of milk the calf gets, no one knows.
Some newcomers have succeeded after a
great deal of work. in tanning the native COW
into docile, quiet animal. There are being
introduced several new breeds-namely, Hol-
stems, Jerseys and the Guinea" Tho latter
are so called on account of their small size,
not being larger than a small Jersey, and
much shorter.legged. They give from two to
six quarts of milk per day, including what
the calf gets 1t is next to impossible to
make the natives believe that we have COWS
at the north which yield from - to "a quarts
of milk per day. Feed for stock is obtained
by burning over the ground, causing q fresh
growth Of grass to start, which is much rel
ished by the cattle. This burning is the di-
rect cause of the greater part of the forest
fires which are SO often attended by great loss
of property and frequently by loss of life.
This matter is at the present time receiving a
good deal of attention from the southern
press as it ought. 1t will soon be one of the
greatest Gf not the greatest) drawbacks to
the settlement of the state for as the laws
are now, they protect the stock raisers rather
than the greater part of the people, and un-
less this is remedied the state will never be a
success. The only effective remedy is to be
found in the introduction of grass adapted
to the soil which will prove superior to that
obtained by burning then, and then only,
can we hope for freedom from for st fires. This
grass will have to be introduced by aid of the
legislature or else laws must be enacted that
will throw the entire responsibility where it
belongs. II a stringent penalty were attach
ed to the present easy and careless method of
obtaining grass by burning, and it was evil
dent that there could be no avoidance of such
penalty, stock raisers would begin to realize
that if they wish to secure feed by burning
they must keep within bounds and have some
regard for the property and rights of others.
Undoubtedly this matter Of burning for feed
has already kept hundreds from settling in
Florida, as it is well known that it takes all
the goodness from the soil to burn it over
season after season, to say nothing Of the de-
struction of fences and surveys. Besides, loss
of life is quite frequently reported, and over
exertion in fighting the fires brings on various
diseases, some of them incurable. And ali
this in the Land of Flowers
f. L. STErsoN.
Nashua, Fla. Jan. 49, 81.