Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-18

ihere Is in the Adirondack
who owns a farm consisting OF 700
acres OF wild mountain land. The soil
is shallow and rocky and the land is
covered with brush and timber IL
probably would not sell for more than
20 an acre. II is impossible to raise
crops upon ii, and it would support
only few head OF cattle or sheen
Yet this man is making a living OFF
ms land. He expects TO make a great
deal more in the next few years and
that without Introducing any improve
mcntS.
This man is raising venison for the
nafket Ills stock consists Of $50 orii.
nary Virginia. or Whitehall. deer. lie
mas a standing order from a hotel for
t"o deer week. ana h" sells the n!.a,
Tor - cents a pound. while the horn
ana hide ar" worth something more
Although this land would not support
any other kind Of live stock in num-
b"rs except possibly goats. this farm
er estimates that he can Increase his
deer herd to the number OF 800 with
out causing amy scarcity Of food: for
dec cat twigs. leaves and weeds az
Wei as grass Their only rival in
the matter NJ omnivorous appetite. is
tn" goat and hc is not worth a tenth
as much
In tn" opinion OF scientists I'm the
United states Siolog zeal Survey and
OF men who have already gone into
deer farming. the native Virginia deer
IL to he one OF the most important
domestic animals Of tho future. and
big money is to hc made in raising
"cniSo-, for the market because of tho
low value Of til" land upon which il
may be produced. Persons who adyo.
cate the raising of The Angora goat I'm
this country estimate That there are
"3O.oOoOoo acres Of land in tho United
states which would support goats, and
arc Mt for practically nothing else
large part OF this immense tract would
also support deer The Adirondacke
the whole Allegheny Chain from Penn
.ylvania TO Georgia, tho o2arks tho
coastal wilderness OF the Carolinas and
the pine barrcuS Of Florida arc All
potential deer range. capahl. Of pro-
ducinG many pounds Of vcuiscn 10 the
square mile. which are now Welding
practically nothing in The way Of food
In tho mountain region mentioned
fcw Scrub cattle uu1 razor-hi,cl hogs.
both If which have 10 be icd in winter
are the only live stock the land sun
ports. while most OF il is wholly unni
for farming
Learned economists have often wran-
cled as TO whether man should add
to tho number OF animals that he has
domcs'icatcd. some OF them claiming
thu. he has already as many as he
needs. Will, others say that he should
'N''ihl ulS Sovereignty over animate
nature rs rapidly as possible because
tho exhaustion Of I'll" supply Of pc
trolcum is going 10 make animal power
md animal products immcnsclv more
valuable in tho future
Deer Valuable for Mcnt.
Whichever side may be right. The
value TO tho United States OF domcs,i-
eating the native American deer and
making our great tracts OF wildncss
81
Will be ono more method OF pulling
down the soaring hccfstcak Perhaps
equally important. ii will provide tho
means Of Restocking wild lands with
wild deer, thus saving to future gem
crations the sport Of deer hunting.
which is ono OF the manifest in tho
world. and has trained American rife
men since Colonial days
In addition 10 the meat and sport
which the propagation of deer will
provide. tho hide, commonly known as
buckskin. is fine, durable leather
which has many uses. In some Euro
Dcan countries n pair Of dccrskin
brooches are handed down from faith
e. to son for several genera Ions.
while the toughncsS OF the buciiskin
clothing Of our pioneer forcfathers is
matter Of record. Shoes haze doubled
in price during comparatively few
years. y largo supply of a new kind
the market
Furthermore. deer improve forest
land by eating out the weeds and low
brush. while they seldom, if ever, Kill
the trees, eating only the leaves and
smallest twigs. Although for the hes:
results. an effort should he made to
tame them; they may he turned loose
in a large Enclosure. where there il
suitable pasture and running water,
and allowed to shift for themselves.
Thus. deer farming seems TO be a
proposition almost too good 10 be true,
Its possibilities are exceeded only by
rat farm. where the rats were fed to
tho eats, and the bodies Of the eats
were fed TO the rats. leaving ,h" cat
skins clear profit.
Game Laws Interfere.
l!ut there is joker in the deer
farming business. In many al the
states tho laws provide that game may
not be shipped or sold. nni no cXccp-
ton is made in tho case Of gam" which
has been dnmcsiicatcd. Sew Yo.k
State is an exception to this rule.
There game which has been raised ~
Enclosures may he killed and roid hy
the owner, but he must accompany
each shipment with - certificate SHOW
ing where and how the gnin" was pro-
duccd. Some other Siaics make con-
Cessions in favor Of the game propngn-
tor. Arkansas has Il law much like
that OF New York; Ia Colorado the