CHAPTER XX. 



TREATMENT OF BREEDING COWS. 



THIS is purely a practical matter. It may be said to belong 

 properly to the subject of breeding; but we purpose to give it 

 emphasis in a chapter by itself, and not mix it with topics in 

 part theoretical. 



The whole subject is important, whether applied to cattle 

 which range in miscellaneous herds, or in choice collections of 

 either grade, or pure bred animals for particular, or ordinary pur- 

 poses. The cow, as has already been observed, is a creature of 

 instinct, impulse, and passion. Her instinct is, to breed her 

 kind; her impulse is, to seek the male when that instinct becomes 

 active ; her passion is, to be gratified with the first opportunity. 

 She has no fancy, no taste, and little imagination. She as read- 

 ily receives the embraces of the most villainous scrub that falls 

 in her way, as the bull of comeliest proportions; and if it so 

 happen that she encounters them both in her phrenzy, the infe- 

 rior brute is almost sure to impregnate her, even under the 

 stealthiest, and apparently, least available opportunity. Under 

 such circumstances, therefore, it is necessary that cows associate 

 only with their kind, and so far as possible, with those of their 

 own breed ; and when pure bred animals, with only those of 

 decided excellence. 



We say that the cow has little imagination; but she may 

 have some, and that imagination is emotional, acted upon sud- 

 denly, and for only a brief period during sexual heat, or the 

 early stages of pregnancy. Her associations at such a season, 



