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Show LEAVES' from Tn j :'r:!?.,;.ky HARRIET MAY WILSON j Goats for Milk and Meat Considering that the goat is well adapted to this country, that a milk goat can be kept where it would be impossible to keep a milk cow, and that goat's milk is very healthful, it seems a pity that the industry of goat-raising has not yet become an important one in America. However, many householders who need but a small quantity of milk daily are turning to the milk goat to supply that need. MILK YIELD ! The lactation period of a good milk doe is from seven to ten months. If she is merely a fair milker her daily yield will be three pints; if she is a good milker, she will produce two quarts a day; if she is a really excellent milker she j will give three quarts a day. If j your family is using two to three quarts of milk daily, delivered at J your door, think what a saving it would be if this milk could be produced pro-duced on your own place, even though that saving would be decreased de-creased somewhat by the cost of feeding the doe. A STRONG FLAVOR? Goat's milk will have no unpleasant unpleas-ant flavor or odor if it is properly handled. The doe's udder should always al-ways be washed, or at least wiped thoroughly before she is milked, to prevent any hairs or dirt from falling fall-ing into the milk; the first milk drawn should not be saved; and the milking room should be separate from the main goat barn to prevent the milk from absorbing odors that may be present in the barn. If these precautions are observed, and if bucks are not permitted to run with the does, the milk product will be sweet and pleasant of flavor. GOAT'S MILK PRODUCTS Good butter can be made from goat's milk, but the yield will not be large. Goat's milk has always a smaller fat content than has cow's milk. Butter made from goat's milk will be white. If artificial coloring is used, the butter will look like butter but-ter from cow's milk but has a somewhat some-what different texture. However, the making of goat butter is not recommended for the reason that the fat in goat milk rises very slowly, and, actually, can not all be secured, except by using a separator and, since goat milk has a high value on the market, it does not pay to use it for butter manufacture. Several varieties of excellent cheese are made from goat's milk. Such cheese known in France as cheveret and in Italy as formaggio di copra has a consistency and a flavor all its own, and resembles Limburger, to some extent. FAVORED BREEDS Only a few, of the many breeds of milk goats known abroad, have been imported into the United States. One of the highest producers produc-ers of milk and of fat is the Saanen, brought from the Saanen valley, Switzerland. Records show that does of this breed have been milked from 8 to 10 months after kidding and have produced an average of 5.6 pounds of milk a day. The most numerous, and probably also the most popular breed found in this country is the Toggenburg, also imported from Switzerland. Carefully kept records show that the Toggenburgs milk from 7 to 10 months after kidding, with an average av-erage daily yield of 4.1 pounds of milk. USE OF GOATS FOR MEAT In spite of the fact that to some parts of the country there is a prejudice preju-dice against the use of goats for meat, nevertheless, in some parts of the South the kids are considered a delicacy. The flesh of kids is of a good flavor and in fact greatly resembles re-sembles lamb. It is known that thousands thou-sands of goats, both young and old are slaughtered and sold as lamb and mutton. No doubt, if the slaughtering slaugh-tering were properly done and the meat carefully handled, the young goats at least, if not the old ones, i would provide an excellent supply of meat that is both palatable and nutritious. PRICE OF MILK GOATS The price the buyer must pay will depend upon whether he wants purebred pure-bred or grade stock. A pure-bred buck will cost $100 or more, but grades or cross-breds may be bought for from $10 to $15 apiece. Prices for does depend upon breed and age, ! but particularly upon milk produc-l produc-l tion. Purebreds cost from $50 to 1 $100, but good milkers in grades or cross-breds may o en be bought for as little as $15 each. For additional inlotmatioo. send five cents to Superintendent of Documents. Washington. D. C, asking tor Farmers' Bulletin No. S20. BORDER PLANTING Borders may be either formal or informal in character but in planting plant-ing them thought must be given to the height of the plants to be grown, in comparison to the width of the border. The usual rule is not to use plants that grow taller than half the width of the border, especially along a walk where a bit of crowding would cause foliage to overlap the walk I and become objectionable. When a walk runs close to a fence or wall, it is frequently preferable to plant vines to cover the fence or wall. |