The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-09

M
g MI @ sumo, you have ere this
AVA Eheard me speak, is city
To~ bred.
All he knows of tine country is theo-
retical knowledge, and. like all men of
his class, he has some very peculiar
ideas in regard to the rural regions.
I am somewhat that way myself,
though I beg leave to say that I think
my original sound sense and judgment
would, in an emergency. save me from
committing any glaring mistakes if
were suddenly to be transported to the
backwoods as permanent inhabitant.
But to return to Purdy.
Until very short time since he has
religiously believed that there were cer-
tain kinds of COWS which gave butter
milk, and other kinds known as the
sour.milk COWS, and again breed
called the skinned el-milk-and-water
cows, the latter being the only kind
known to the city milkmen.
Fer some time be and Mrs. Purdy
agitated the matter Of keeping cow.
They had a baby which was being
brought up on the bottle, and it was so
difficult to procure pure milk for the
little cherub that Mrs. Purdy coveted a
real COW, so that upon her lacteal Sc
cretions her dear little Amabel Selma
might grow fat and rosy.
1 Purdy is an indulgent man, and he
concluded to crafty the wife of his
bosom. He came over three or four
weeks ago and discussed the matter
with me. He looked over my farm
books on the subject of dairying, and
found that there was no way a man
could get rich so fast as by keeping a
COW. A COW would average a pound
of butter day, besides the milk, said
the books, and that was fifty cents,
and it wouldn't cost more than twenty
, five cents day to keep her.
why, when come to think of it,"
said Purdy, Il marvel that every man
does not keep cows 1t is better than
getting a government contract from
the postoffice department, to supply
mail boxes, or patent locks for the mail
bags, or being head of ring"
ITO be sure" said I.
$50 I should say" remarked Mrs.
Potts.
Now, the fact is. Potts" said Purdy,
II am not the best judge of cows in
the world; in truth, the most have
ever seen of them was in landscape
pictures, and in patent Office reports,
and want the benefit Of your judg-
ment in selecting one. Suppose you
and take trip out to Belmont Mead
ows> tomorrow and buy one?"
Il agreed to it, and on the morrow we
set forth.
tBe sure and have her gentle, and
80 the children can play with her, and
Zone that chews her cud like the COWS
in poetry" was the parting admonition
of Mrs. Purdy, as she held up the baby
2or Purdy to kiss.
He reached Belmont Meadows, and
inquired of the station agent who had
cows to sell. He directed US to the
farm Of Major Grey, half a mile off.
The major was at home, and he had
cows to sell. Eleven of them. He
looked them over. Were they gentle?
Oh, yes, gentle as lambs, and kittens
thrown in.
But they had horns, Furdy said; he
was little Shy of COWS with horns.
Hadn't the majo- got some without
horns?
The major was mildly indignant. In
deed he hadn't. They didn't make
COWS without horns out that way. No,
sir. If hornless COWS were wanted,
Purdy might seek them in some other
locality.
Purdy begged pardon. and said no
offense was meant; only he thought
that horns would be in the way if the
baby was playing with the COW, and
wanted to get on her back over her
head. That was all.
Purdy bought COW. She was black
and white, and warranted five years
old; good mixer, and gentle in all
kinds of harness-or under all circum-
stances.
He paid eighty dollars for her, and
the major was to deliver her at Purdy's
house.
The rsxt day she came.
After the majors man went sway
Purdy came over after me and Mrs.
Potts. -
,"Marier and are going>to milk our
cow" he SID, "and we want you to
be there, if anything should happen.
Neither of US exactly understand the
science Of milking, and your. advice
and judgment may be Of use to u.s."
So Mrs Potts and went over, and I
took my books on dairying along with
me.
The cow stood in the stable, chewing
away. viciously, l thought, on a bundle
Of hay, and swinging her tail in busi-
ness sort of way, as If she meant to
say she was mistress of the situation.
Mrs. Purdy and Purdy stood on one
side of her. and Mrs. Potts and 1 stood
on the other.
Now" said 1. "the book says the
1acteal fluid should be drawn swiftly
and promptly from its receptacle, and
the sooner the operation of milking is
performed. the greater will be the
yield of milk"
"Just so"' says Purdy, $50, of course.
it is best for two of US to milk her.
Two can do it quicker than one! You
take her on one side, and III take her
on the other"
"Are you going to milk her from tie