310 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 May, 1918. 



easily pass unnoticed is found on farms where the stock drink at a 

 running stream. If the banks are at all soft, the cattle soon cut tracks 

 down to the water, and it is quite common for such tracks to be from 

 2 to 3 feet deep and yet no wider than the ordinary cow track. Cows 

 heavy in calf going up and down these to water, even if taking their own 

 time, are very apt to get bruised in the flank by knocking against 

 the sides of the hollows. If they hurry, or are bustled in any way 

 at watering time, the risk of injury is, of course, so much greater. One 

 instance of this danger came under notice where quite a number of 

 cows in the herd had aborted before the cause was discovered, but as 

 soon as the tracks down the creek banks were widened by a few blows 

 with a pick there were no more cases of slipping the calf. Even com- 

 pelling cows heavy in calf to scramble up and down the steep bank 

 of a creek is liable to result in some of them aborting. Unavoidable 

 accidents are liable to occur only too often in any herd, and if a dairy 

 farmer is careless enough to add to these by permitting his sj^ringing 

 cows or heifers to take preventable risks, he deserves little sympathy. 



Ergot — a parasitic plant-growth — has long been knows as causing 

 abortion through cattle eating it, and possibly this trouble may also be 

 brought on at times by the injudicious feeding of highly-forcing and fer- 

 mented food. 



Care should always be taken to destroy a foetus or slink, and the 

 ground where it fell should be disinfected. The hind-quarters and 

 udder of the cow ought to be cleansed, and the womb flushed out with a 

 disinfectant. These precautions should be taken in all cases of abortion. 

 The owner cannot afford to run any risk of possible infection, even if 

 he is satisfied that the slipping is the result of accident. Where there 

 is the barest possibility of infection, every endeavour must be made to 

 prevent it. An hour spent in thoroughly cleaning up every possible 

 source of infection may prevent a subsequent loss of many pounds cash. 

 Prevention of disease by reasonable precaution is the least expensive 

 method of combating it. 



HOW TO MAKE HOME-MADE CHEESE. 



By G. C. Sawers, Cheese Expert. 



1. For making a small quantity of milk into cheddar cheese, the fol- 

 lowing articles are required : — 



(a) A wooden tub (or a jacketed vat) with movable canvas cover. 

 (6) A long-bladed knife. 



(c) Cheese moulds. 



(d) Cheese press. 



(e) Thermometer. 

 (/) Curd rake. 



{(/) A 1-oz. and a 6-oz. measure glass. 



2. When both the evening and the following morning's milk is to be 

 used in the one operation, it is advisable to cool the evening milk (early 

 after milking) by standing it over night in cold water. 



3. Stir this milk occasionally till bedtime. 



