The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor WorkMiller, Mary Rogers
Philosophy
The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor Work
Miller, Mary Rogers
Agriculture -- Juvenile literature
In January, 1902, I bought seventy-five Angoras, as I had about twenty
acres of brush land that I wanted to reclaim. I kept the goats in sheds
until May. I had to put up a wire fence to keep them from visiting my
neighbours, and in early May turned them into the first section, about
one half of the piece. I built a shed for them to stay in nights and
during rains.
The work they did was marvellous. In less than a month this section had
the appearance of having been struck by a cyclone, and it was evident
that the goats would soon require more territory. Consequently I wired
the other section of this twenty-acre piece, and when finished allowed
them the range of the other piece, to which they marched in military
precision daily, returning to the shed at night or during the approach
of rain, which they seemed to foretell as accurately as a barometer.
It was not long before it developed that they would require fresher
fields or I must reduce my flock, as this ground was all that I had of
that kind. Consequently I sold all but twenty-five, retaining twelve
registered does, twelve kids, and one buck. For the does I paid ten
dollars each, and my buck, which was a kid, cost twenty-five dollars.
I had some grades that I sold at eight dollars and eight dollars and
twenty-five cents each, and also some wether kids that I sold at five
dollars each. I have this same flock now, with the addition of ten kids
born this spring from these twelve does, which had twelve kids, two
having died, leaving thirty-five now in the field.
During the past winter I have handled more than six hundred that were
sent here from the West. The test that I was anxiously watching for
at the advent of spring was to see the effect of their work done last
season, and I must say I am very agreeably surprised. In the first lot
fenced there is scarcely a brush left, no briers, and not even Canada
thistles. The entire field between the rocks came out this spring with
beautiful, thick, green, grassy foliage, mostly white clover. On the
other lot, part of the brush tried hard to show its tenacity of life
by coming out with green leaves, but at this writing the shrubs have
fallen prey to the devouring Angora, and green grass is coming out
in about all the ground that they have trod. This alone to me is a
satisfactory commercial experience.
W. O. CORNING
RAISING CALVES
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