A Pair of Cow Stories

A Little More Cider

A LITTLE MORE CIDER TOO.— It happened at a speaking. The ground was thickly dotted with cider carts and melon carts. All appeared to be drawn by the gentleman specimens of the cow tribe; for their proximity to each other seemed to excite their ire, as evinced by angry bellowings. Cider guzzling became epidemic. After a while, instead of one speaker, there were at least forty.

A red haired owner of a fierce little speckled bull shouted, "I'll bet a gallon of cider my bull can butt the horns and hide off any animal on the ground."
"I'll take the bet," cried a hirsute specimen of the piney woods. "Trot out the beast."

The combatants were brought out, held by long ropes in the hands of the respective owners. At each other they plunged, bellowing, pawing and kicking up a fearful dust. They ripped and tore, up and down, round and round, jerked loose from the holders, upset the cider carts, turned over the barrels, and made "confusion worse confounded" generally. But it's an ill wind that blows no one good. Gourds, glasses, shoes and hats were brought into requisition to save the cider. No further interest was taken in the fight, and to this day, no one knows which bull whipped.

This occurred in a classic township, wherein the SOUTHERNER freely circulates

As we left, the cider-maudlin patriots were chorusing: "A little more cider, sweet."

[Tarboro Southerner, Edgecombe Co., NC, Aug. 18, 1876]

Beds for Cows?

In drying off a cow it is customary not to milk her entirely dry the last few times. But one week after this her udder should be milked thoroughly dry, said a speaker at the Wisconsin farmers' course. If this is not done the small amount of milk left in her udder may cause garget.

The farmers were urged to lay a floor of inch boards on top of the cement floorings for cows and calves. Garget, caked udder and rheumatism have resulted from cows lying on cement floor. Experience shows that calves are much more comfortable when they lie on boards over the cement floor.

[The Enfield Progress, Halifax Co., NC, 8/14/1908]

Both of these stories appeared in The Connector, newsletter of Tar River Connections Genealogical Society in the Fall 2005 issue.