Year: 1867

rity, and everybody's calves run together


in the woods, being first branded with the
owners name. Many stock owners never
see their cattle all together from one years
end to another. Enough calves are kept
near the house to attract some one of the
cows, and it is considered the proper or
thodox way to let the calf suck while the
COW is being MIXED, in order to make her
give down her milk. The consequence i,
that the forty cows together do not yield
in actual milk more than we have seen
given by two good cows treat. ] in the
northern way.


Winnah chulns every day-unless Joe
forgets to bring up the cows, or something
else happens, in which case they 60 with
out being MIXED for morning or an even
ing-which fact generally dawns on US in
the sudden perception Of their being no
milk or cream for our breakfast or tea.


Winnah makes valiant fight for her
butter, and feels aggreved at the demand
set up by the ladies Of the establishment
for cream morning and night. Somebody
:" mus jes bring up more o. dem cows efIs
to glb de ladies SO much milk un cream;
dere won't be no butter shor." We have
sometimes described to Winnah the man.
ner of proceeding with Northern cows,
which seem TO ill her soul with horror.
She informed us that :" de COW would les
dry right up if you kill her chile


In vain We described to her the charms
Of fresh veal, a dish unknown and inadmis-
sible in Florida. We did succeed in bring
ing an uous glow on the face of the
cook by describing the charms of veal pic.
but Winnall's brow grew dark as if we had
proposed to make it of bah es. 81 les so
soon see one of my babies killed as one dem
calves" The calves, in fat, are the pret-
test little things in the world and at un-
certain intervals Wnnah stops her wash
| ing, or whatever she may chance TO lie


about, because her bowels yearn after her


calves, and it suddenly comes into her


head TO carry some hay to them. Then


she will leisurelyi pet and pat each one,


portion eff the weaker, discipline the strong


er ones with a maternal cuff, now and then


to teach them not to be greedy, and then
/ leaning on her elbows over the fence, will


smoke her pipe aud laugh with full-heart-


ell satisfaction.


IT cows were 10 have a vote they would,


doubtless, all agree to come to Florida, for
| hey have it all ileir own way here.
II is but justice to Winnah to state that
her butter is the only butter we ever ate
IN Amtrica that seemed TO us as good as
the continental article. 1t is made every
day of fresh cream, and is iself in taste
only solidifed cream, as butter should be.
The bnttermilk resulting f ON the process is
rich and slightly acid, delightful drink
for warm weather. This buttermilk, to-
gether with all the skinned milk, goes TO
the hands as sort Of p rquisite and it is
cne Of Winnah's morning tasks to I'll the
pals of numerous applicants who come
from the different cabins at the quarters.
In this dispensaton she magnifes her ofIice
and dispenses admonitiops, orders and ad-
vice with loud emphasis. Evidently she
feels herself 10 be a power in the earth,
but she endeavors to bear RUE with Justice
and equity, and no more leaning TO the
tribe Of her own children and grandchil-
dren than might fairly be expected.


So so matters in this easy, rollcking,
sunny climate, where the warm days SO
outnumber the cold that the laborer never
thinks il is hardsh p to live in house
without glass windows, generally being
certain that no rain storm will beat in at all
four sides Of the hoase at once, so that he
can have an open shutter somewhere.


1t is hardly possible to run plantation
with hands trained under the old regime
without running in the same old, worn, rat
Ting grooves in which the machinery of
plantation life has always moved.


A climate whose summer lasts pretty
much the year round, inclines people spite
of themselves, 10 the large, leisurely, easy
way of doing things. Nature here does
not bring you up with the short, decided,
turns of northern latitudes,
where if you do NOT sow to-day it will be
t o late tomorrow, where frosts stands SEN
try on both ends of the three months called
summer, TO warn you that it is now or
never with you, and a cold winter bids you
look ahead and store provision and fuel
for lis long months. Here, where one can
go on sowing, reaping and tending garden,
the year round, everything inclines one to
take matters by the day, TO comfo:. ones
self that there is time enough tomorrow
for what isn't done to-day. So even North
ern Yankees find the grim clutches Of care
relaxing their hold; they laugh at incon-
veniences which at home they would find