Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-03-22
Texans Hope to Produce One at
Reduced Cost.
With Muntjac Deer of India Founda'
ton Will Be Laid for Animal
That Will Thrive In Lone
Star State.

Galveston, Text have believed
for long time that Texas could pro-
duce a food animal that would come
into more general use than any at
present to be found on the farms and
ranches of the state said Mr.. Lee
Mountfort Mr.. Mountfort has ranch
in the vicinity of Robstown, Nueces
county, and has for some time past,
he says, been conducting experiments
In animal breeding. Il have been
watching the work of Luther Burbank
for a long time" Mr.. Mountfort con-
tinued, land it gave me the idea that
am at present working out. O1
cours, / cannot hope to do in the anil
NAL kingdom what Burbank has done
with fruits, but the main principle
underlying both our efforts Is to de-
termine what product is necessary,
how the present product is to be I'M
proved upon, and then work out the
line Of Improvement.
Now take the case Of meat In
Texas. For years Texas has been
meat was concerned Recently the
breeders have been affected by the de-
mand for hogs to the extent that nos
raising has predominated. sheep are
also raised. But there Is need IN
Texas for a food animal that Is small
er than the COW, hog or sheep, ana
bigger than the domestic hen or the
hSoI1 &c ocf1xy
ranches. The meat supply Of the aV-
erage ranch is at present drawn
from the smokehouse, and while there
are a few Texans who will decry ba-
con and ham as a diet, there are also
few but will admit that fresh meat
Is better, when it can be obtained.
There are not many farms where a
sheep, for example, can be killed ire
quently and easily used before some
of it spoils This is even more true Oh
beef. The hogs are killed at one time
of the year and the meat necessarily
preserved. How, then, is the problem
to be met? Obviously not by develop
ment of any of the existing species OF
animals now indigenous to Texas. We
must have a new breed. II we cant
create it it must be imported There's
my chain of reasoning in nutshell.
81 looking about for some animal
that is good for food and that will
thrive in the climate of southwest
Texas, 1 have read a great deal of
various breeds. l can find few ami
mails that are more suitable, to my
view, than the little-known 'Muntjac'
deer of India. This animal is beau
tiful little creature, and is only about
Fl or % inches In height. 1t has small
horns, but Is not combative, or large
enough to be dangerous. 1t is similar
to the sheep in it's diet, feeding upon
practically any kind of heritage. The
meat from the muntjac, l understand,
is of delicious flavor, and possesses
that slight gamey taste that makes
the epicure prefer venison to almost
any other meat.
LAS / view the situation, the bring
ing to the country of a small mammal
of this size Is Of enough Importance to
Justify some little expense. After
thinking it over, have arranged with
one of my friends, Capt. Richard Wat
son of the tramp steamship Punjaub,
TO bring me some. The Punjaub on
her present trip is to go from Cape
Town to Calcutta, and can obtain the
muntjac there. have asked him to
get several pairs, eight or ten If pos
sible to accommodate them, as several
will doubtless die on the trip. But
with those that survive l hope to lay
the foundation for brand new breed
of farm food animals in Texas
Il have heard that breeder in cen
trail Texas has been raising Virginia
deer for the past four or five years,
and has made something of a success
of the breeding The venison finds
ready sale, and the skins have little
difficulty in finding a market. Al
though this animal is somewhat larger
than the one l have in mind, it ought
also to be developed in the state. This
Virginia deer is also known as the
white tail, and is able to live in prac-
tica}ly any part of the country, if In
the colder climates it is given a GER
tain amount of attention in winter
The breed Is unusually prolific. and