The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-21


| anv. Grains and other milk-producing
| commodities have been tried TO increase
the milk supply. until Farmer CODY mas
| thought seriously either OF raising MS
rate OF board or charging rare LOT Dring-
| ing guests up from the railroad s'auoh
| In order to get even.
But Just about nightfall one day last
week Farmer Colby happened 10 go out
| TO his piggery to toss some ihls-eiaheous
| feed into the swine trousa. whfh ne no.
| tlced that his COWS were INDUCING In a
little stampede. Quick as farmer can
move with his boots on, Mr. Colby went
TO the corral and Witnessed the COWS
chasing each other around the enclosure
after the manner OF the opening event at
n circus. He noticed then that seven out
OF eighteen Of them had each clinging 10
her teats n snake, so great in lehsth that
IL trailed along the ground IKE n guy
rope. Farmer Colby was frightened and
began yelling. Get out there! The
louder he would yell the faster the COWS
would travel, until at last they main
tained such rapid gait that the snakes
stood out horizontally I'm the air like
vaultlng bars. In fact several Of the
COWS not in direct communication with
the snakes jumped clean over them in
making the rounds
Farmer Colby was too badly frightened
to attack the reptiles, so he started pell-
nell for the house 70 summon assistance.
He was met by two OF his sons on the
way and they started back to the corral.
BY that time the stampede had subsidized,
and the COWS stood with their heads over
the top rail. painting and their eyes glar-
ing with fear. But there was not sign
Of a snake anywhere. Investigation
showed that the seven COWS TO which
the snakes had attached themselves had
been almost entirely relieved Of their
milk.
II dawned upon Farmer Colby for the
first time that he was the victim Of milk
adders. He had heard Of these creatures
being In collision with COWS in pastures.
but Il was the first time he ever saw
them buckled down 20 business There
were numberless cracks in the barn
foundation and all were satisfied that
the snakes had their rendezvous beneath
the structure. Farmer Colby said he
must find out. and would do so II he
had 10 pull down the barn. With the as
sistance of the two boys the floor was
pulled I'D. and. sure enough, the problem
was solved. II there was one milk adder
there were six dozen they were all sizes,
from an angleworm 10 an inch rope, and
some were three feet long. The first im-
pulse Of Farmer Colby was to run when
he saw the srakes but when he saw his
sons knocking them out with bale sticks.
he Joined In the slaughter. Enough nay
for weeks feeding was found beneath
the barn floor. and I'm 1t the snakes lad
ade nests. When the hay was disturbed
the small snakes would jump down their
mothers threats. and the latter, If not
slaughtered. would crawl into the holes
in the ground The seven monsters that
could easily be distinguished from the
others, rs they were so full Of milk that
they resembied sausage covers inflated.
Not one OF the seven had chance TO es-
cape: they were so heavy with their load
OF pure milk that they could hardly
crawl. and when they tried 10 get into
the holes in the ground, the holes proved
too small 10 admit them. When thirty
nine adders had been despatched they
were carried outside the barn-yard and
laid side by side. They measured all the
way from four inches 10 three feet, and
resembled a xylophone board. When the
hay was removed from beneath the barn
floor and the holes plugged up with sticks,
Farmer Colby set about burying the
snakes. His sons were possessed Of more
forethought than the old man, and were
laZer. too. so they quietly tossed the
snakes into the pig-pen for swine feed,
and that saved the effort Of burying
them.
Before the snake syndicate was dis
covered eighteen COWS used 20 average
2l6 quarts Of milk a day. Since the syn
dictate was broken up the average I'm 2i3
quarts Whether the snakes actually con-
sumed twenty-seven quarts Of milk a
day. or whether part Of the shortage was
due TO the COWS taking fright. can only
be conjectured. But. as the shortage is
known TO have existed for nine weeks.
Farmer Colby reckons that he IS out just
1.70l quarts Of milk, which at four cents
per quart wholesale. nets him a total loss
OF S6S.04.-New York Sun.