STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 757 



visit to Mr. Fenton, who kept a considerable number of dairy 

 cows near Rochdale, he described to me the means used by that 

 gentleman, which, with probably some modifications of my own, 

 I have since continued to apply. No ditference is observed in the 

 cow's treatment or food till the symptoms of calving appear. Her 

 supply of water is then limited to about one-half of what she 

 would drink. When she has calved, and for two days afterwards, 

 she is plentifully supplied with a quantity of oatmeal gruel twice 

 per day, with about two pounds of treacle each time in the gruel. 

 No water is given separately; she is allowed her ordinary food. 

 After calving she is milked every three to four hours for two days 

 or upwards. The attendant is enjoined not to strip her milk 

 clean, but leave a little in her udder, in the manner he would use 

 in drying a cow of her milk. When two or three days are over, 

 she is supplied with water and food ad libitum^ and the ordinary 

 process of milking clean twice per day resorted to. 



The only instance of milk-fever since I adopted these precau- 

 tionarv means occurred in 1855, under the followins; circum- 

 Stances. I bought a cow in July to calve in September; her 

 appearance denoted good milking properties. She dropped her 

 calf whilst out on pasture, and without giving the previous notice 

 by filling the udder, or showing symptoms of giving much milk. 

 I then told her attendant he need not use the precaution, but 

 supply her with food and drink to promote her secretion of milk. 

 Within two days of her having calved, the feeder came to me 

 with the intelligence that she had dropped. On arriving at her 

 stall, I found her case a decided and severe one. Having collected 

 a sufficient number of assistants, together with our village drug- 

 gist, Mr. llolden, who on occasions of emergency was called in 

 to assist and on this occasion was the chief adviser, we resorted 

 to the appliance of bags filled with the hot steamed food, of 

 which there was a plentiful supply in readiness. These were 

 }»laced along her spine and sides, and on cooling r('}>laced with 

 others; this operation was continued from noun until evening. 

 During the same time men were continually engaged (relieving 

 each other) in S(|ueezing from her teats what little milk they 

 could. The Ikj^s of hot steamed food had the ctlect of inducing 

 a pr<»fuse persj)iration. A dose or two of sulphate of magnesia 

 were given, then linseed oil, but without effect; after this treacle 



