THE DAIRY QUESTION — OLD STYLE. 241 



Just tiy it and see, you who have hitherto been content 

 to follow in the worn-out grooves of the old-time settlers. 



An important step toward the attainment of this much- 

 to-be-desired result — namely, the regeneration of the native 

 stock — is, first of all, more gentle treatment than is usually 

 given them. 



Many a time has our righteous indignation boiled and 

 seethed and finally overflowed in a torrent, because of the 

 brutal manner in which cows and calves are treated by the 

 ignorant classes who, apart from questions of common 

 humanity, do not know enough to recognize the fact that 

 they are despoiling and depreciating their own property. 



And it is not only these ("the poor white trash"), of 

 whom happily there are few in our beautiful State, or the 

 naturally cruel negro, who thus w^antonly ill-treat animals. 

 It is often done, or allowed to be done by dependents, 

 from sheer carelessness. Many a cow and calf are beaten 

 and driven and kicked, not once in a while only, but every 

 night and morning, by those who are intrusted by the 

 owner with their care. Perhaps, as the pens are usually 

 at some little distance from the house, he may not know 

 of the cruelty with which his cattle are treated, or he may 

 suspect that " the darkies are a little rough," but does not 

 take the trouble to verify his suspicions or make himself 

 conversant with the amount of damage this ' ' little rough- 

 ness" is doing to his property, to say nothing of the hu- 

 manitarian aspect of the case. 



In either event — that of ignorance or mere suspicion — 

 we can not hold the owner guiltless of wanton cruelty, for 

 it is the clear duty of every stock-owner to see that his 

 animals are well and kindly treated, and not left to the 

 "tender mercies" of a race proverbially cruel to animals, 

 and even to each other. 



We have elsewhere alluded to the necessity that often 



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