The Florida agriculturist., 1907-06-26
More About Milch Goats.

An advance in price always shows
that the demand exceeds the supply.
We have been urging the introduction
of goats, believing that they will prove
profitable. The following account,
from the Rural New Yorker, will be
found to contain much information on
the subject:
10 answer some questions that have
already been asked, and to anticipate
others that some interested friends
might like to ask relative to the ma
ture, care and habits of the mich
goats, | would say, first, that much
OF the antlpathy people have against
goats milk or the taste Of it is due
to their taking it too strong. Goats
milk is much richer in fat than Of
dinary cows milk, and if diluted by
adding little water, one finds it not
at all unpleasant. The same idea holds
good in cooking with it; add about
onethird Of water. Some very good
authorities claim that the unpleasant
flavor which is frequently found in
goats milk is wholly a matter Of
cleanliness. My experience does not
bear this out. Others have expressed
themselves after the same manner,
showing that goats milk does taste
more or less goaty. Right here I will
say that our family has found that
by adding very little salt to the milk
just before drinking it makes a great
difference in the flavor, and adds ma
terially to the pleasure Of using.
Several have inquired where they
could procure mllch goats, and what
they ought to pay for them. I might
answer by telling little experience
Of my own, since started out to find
some one who had a nice large herd
Of goats, SO that I might have better
stock to select from, and possibly get
one little cheaper. | visited Is Or
10 keepers Of goats; one was an Eng
hshtnan, one an Irish woman, another
Pole, and all the rest were Italians.
Not one Of the people I called on
had more than five or six young and
old together, and most Of them had
but one or two. Neither could I hear
Of anyone who had any number of
common mich goats. liked the looks
OF one goat very much, and asked the
price. They would not sell, because
just a month before she had dropped
five young ones that we're very smart
little kids; at least the two saw were.
Those that had any to sell wanted
anywhere from $Io to SIS each, and
as went on from one to another.
asking prices and finding that they all
ranged about the same, I concluded
must be three or four years behind
the times, for about that long ago I
could get plenty of fair goats at from
S. to So and $40. So if anyone in
terested can get goat under $Io l
would consider him fortunate.
In looking for goats would advise
inquiring for the nearest Italian set
tlement, or where any considerable
number Of foreigners, especially from
Central or Southern Europe, are con-
gregated, and you will be pretty sure
to find goats among them; for it has
been very well demonstrated that the
peasant class Of Europe has learned
not only the habits of industry, but
also the secrets of economy.
Now about bringing up little ones,
without using the mothers milk. Last
February we had two little kids come
during the coldest weather, and we
took them into the house for two or
three days and fed them on milk from
bottle; then took them back to the
mother, and she refused them. Then
we took oil meal, about one table
spoonful to quart of water, and
boiled it we'll for an hour, and added
a very little milk when we filled the
bottle, only one or two tablespoon
fuls on top The kids grew and hou-
rished as we'll as those that were left
entirely with the does. I know of
others who have raised young calves
on the can1e D1ap uhe1 tIoe1, felt thew