The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-04-23

of tons Of sueDe manufactured in this section
and thrown on the market every fall and win
ter. 1t is not manufactured In warm weather, as
1t won't stand up" There Is law In this state
prohibiting Its sale, under severe penalties un.
less plainly stamped on each package Suene,"
but when 1t leaves the state, that Is the end of
1t. There is no law compelling second-class
hotels, restaurants and cheap boarding-houses
to label their dishes containing this product,
hence there Is large consumption OF it in these
places That 1t Is much more palatable than
common dairy butter, most every one who has
tasted it admits; In fact it has driven all the
lower grades Of butter for table use out of the
market | have given your readers long
disquisiton on butterine, and in my next pro-
pose to say something about genuine butter,
how we beat the Vermont article and why.
THE CATTLE DRIVE
from Texas north this season will not, IL is
said, be as large as common. Only about four
or five hundred thousand head will be started.
The,oss on the ranges last winter is estimated
to be about one to one and one-half per cent.
The average people at the East hardly know
how the Eastern and Middle States are supplied
with beef, at least to what an extent the terri
tories west OF the Mississippi contribute to that
end. The cattle above spoken of are mostly
bought in the states of Texas and Arkansas, and
driven north to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana
and Indian territories, where they are sold
at from twelve to fifteen dollars per head for
years-olds. After being branded they are
turned on to the ranges, where they are kept
for two or three years on nothing but grass,
dried up most OF the year at that, the only ex-
pense being the rounding Of them up, which is
merely nominal. The profits TO the ranchmen
are OF course large, as they get for their cattle,
at three and four years Of age, double, and
sometimes thribble, what they paid for them ss
yearlings. These cattle go to Chicago where
they are slaughtered and the carcasses sent, in
refrigerator cars all over the Middle and East
ern States
THE CORN CROP
here last season was very poor. Much of
1t, when crbbed,. was so soft that many
laid tiles along through it to give it air
and carry off the moisture, hoping thereby to
prevent its rotting in the cribs But, in spite
of all precaution, there will be thousands upon
thousands of bushels that will never be sent to
market, or utilized in any way, save to let the
hogs root it over and pick out the best of it.
THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
strange disease in cattle, classed as above, has
| broken out among vast herds of blooded stock in
this and adjoining states creating intense alarm,
involving, as it may, the cattle interests of the
| whole country. In conversation with the state
veterinarian, who has just returned from an
| investigating tour in the southern part of this
state, he said very large proportion of the
cattle in the lower tier Of counties were in
fected. The first symptoms show swelling in
| the lower limbs, especially the hind ones. The
lips become dry, hot and cracked; the eyes clear
and bright, but with yellow exudation, or mat
ter, on the lids; then follows cracking of the
skin around the hoofs, with a sloughing off Of
the entire foot, followed in a few days by death.
| A large number Of cattle were seen by the
veterinarian with one, and some with both
hind feet entirely gone. 1t was first thought
1t might have been caused by freezing, but that
idea has been given up as untenable. Whatever
the cause may be, the fact is exciting intense
alarm all through the Southwest among cattle
raisers, involving, possibly, millions Of dollars.
Efforts are Ibeing made to quarantine all in
fected districts, but this will be found to be a
huge undertaking. DR.. K, Aurora, Ill.