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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



regularly to fifteeu years and upwards. A reference to 

 the 11th vol. of " Coates's Herd Book" affords strong 

 evidence of the advantage of putting heifers to the bull 

 before they are two years old (confirnning the opinion I 

 have expressed), such heifers usually standing to their 

 first leap, and afterwards proving regular breeders. As 

 examples — " Lady Jane," vol. xi. page 525, calved 

 Oct. 17, 1845, produced her first live calf in February, 

 1818, when tweuty-eight months old, and had sLx sin- 

 gle calves registered to May, 1854. " Rose de Meaux," 

 vol. xi. page 679, calved Oct. 1841, produced her first 

 live calf in February, 1844, when twenty-eight months 

 old, and had ten single calves registered to Aug. 1854. 

 No breeding can be more satisfactory than this, and the 

 instances are numerous in the volume alluded to. 



To those breeders who prefer a cow-house, or who wish 

 to sec their animals conveniently under one roof, I would 

 recommend an inspection of Her Majesty's cow-house, 

 at the Dairy Farm, Windsor. This splendid building, 

 which is 132 feet long, 38 feet wide, and about 

 45 feet high, is erected with a span roof, under 

 the centre of which is a raised platform, 6 feet 6 inches 

 wide, paved with flag stones, for the accommodation of 

 visitors to inspect the cows, which are arranged in pairs 

 on either side, each pair having a lair 7 feet deep and 8 

 feet wide, the building containing 60 cows. Each cow 

 has a separate feeding trough, with a water trough for a 

 pair, the supply for which is derived from elevated cis- 

 terns. At the foot of the lair is a slate gutter, 12 inches 

 wide and about 3 inches deep, which receives the urine 

 and droppings ; beyond which is an asphalte pathway, 

 6 feet wide, running round the building, with additional 

 space at the ends. Numerous windows in the side walls 

 aflford light in the day time, and during feeding and 

 milking hours at night the cows have the advantage of 

 gas light, several lamps being suspended from the centre. 

 Doors are conveniently placed for ingress and egress ; 

 and open yards with sheds adjoin, into which the cows 

 can be at any time turned. The ventilation of this 

 building is chiefly in the roof, and is very good. The 

 requisite conveniences for stowing and preparing food 

 for the cows of course appertain ; and the possession of 

 such a building, filled with the choicest specimens of 

 shorthorns from the show-yards of our Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society, would in some measure reconcile me to 

 the plan of keeping them which I have so strongly 

 deprecated. 



In passing, the visitor to this '' Royal cow-house " 

 will find the homesteads at the Dairy Farm and at Shaw 

 Farm, Windsor, well worth his inspection, as they are 

 substantially but plainly built, and possess many conve- 

 niences which are not ordinarily met with. The excel- 

 lent accommodaliou for the labourers must not be 

 overlooked. 



As evidence of the value of exercise to cows near 

 calving, I am informed that from about 1830 to 1840 a 

 Mr. George Lyon flourished in Yorkshire, who pur- 

 chased great numbers of cows for London dairymen. 

 Mr. Lyon usually selected the larijest and fiacst cows, 

 many of them being very (rt sh. 'i'he cows were driven 

 to London at the rate of nine to twelve miles per day, 



the greater part of them calved on the road, the calves 

 being sold to wayside farmers, or taken forward in carts, 

 and the cows continuing their journey. Mr. Lyon was 

 wont to say that he never lost a cow from calving after 

 she had had three days' travelling. 



Some cows are subject to falling down of the vagina 

 or first passage, tlie cause and treatment of which is 

 thus described by Skellett : " This is a complaint which, 

 in cases of weakness, both precedes and follows calving ; 

 the womb and calf's head pressing upon the passage, 

 make the latter fall down, which it does to a certain ex- 

 tent. Before calving little can be done to remedy it ; 

 but when it appears after it, it admits of a certain 

 method of cure. When the parts are replaced, which 

 is easily done, in order to retain them in their situation 

 a stitch or two should be passed through the sides of the 

 shape, by means of a packing needle threaded with com- 

 mon tape. The parts are to be embrocated with a de- 

 coction of bark with alum, and everything done to 

 strengthen the general habit of the animal ; for, as 

 soon as the cow is in health and vigour, this dis- 

 placement wears oflf. Before calving, the appearance of 

 this complaint generally alarms those who have the 

 management of cows, and they conceive that the womb 

 will be entirely protruded : it is only necessary here to 

 keep the animal in a position least favourable for the 

 descent, and to give a stitch in the manner directed , 

 which will prevent the protrusion going farther, till the 

 operation of calving commences, when the parts are 

 generally retracted, or go up of themselves." 



Without expressing an opinion respecting the treat- 

 ment recommended by Skellett, I quote from his work 

 in the absence of better information. The science and 

 skill of our modern veterinary professors may materially 

 improve on the practitioner of twenty-five yeais ago. 



For bad cases of this kind an inclined platform is ne- 

 cessary, so that the cow's hind quarters shall be raised 

 from nine to twelve inches higher than her fore quarters. 

 The cow should be tied up, and lie on sparred boards 

 well littered, under which should be stones or flints for 

 her water to pass through, with good draina^^e under- 

 neath, as the confinement consequent to this state 

 renders cleanliness very necessary to the cow. The 

 ascent to the platform must be gradual, and the cow can 

 bo led out for exercise as circumstances permit. For 

 the satisfaction of those breeders who have cows in 

 this condition, I may say that one of the most valuable 

 breeding cows in England is thus afflicted ; that she is 

 constantly kept on a raised platform ; safely produced 

 a fine bull calf in the autumn of 1857, is again with calf, 

 and looks healthy and well. 



Although I do not advise the frequent use of bulling 

 stocks, they are occasionally required, and are a neces- 

 sary adjunct to a breeder's premises. A minute descrip- 

 tion of the stocks would needlessly lengthen this paper, 

 but anyone desirous of having them constructed can 

 readily inspect them on the premises of most of our 

 established breeders. 



A cattle van will be found of essential service to remove 

 stock in times of di(fi;uUy. Such iiuy arise from acci- 

 dental lameness, the slippery state of the roads, or the 



