THE DAIRY. 297 



her size and developments. After calving, she should be 

 stinted in her food for two or three days, and not fed freely for 

 a week. Avoid fat in a breeding cow. Too high feeding 

 is the cause of milk-fever, caked bag, garget, and a host of 

 -vils; and too poor feed is almost equally objectionable. 

 The average time of a cow with young, is from 40 to 41 

 weeks ; but they sometimes go "only 34, and occasionally 

 overrun 44. A dry, unoccupied stall or yard is best for her 

 to calve in ; and if there is any serious delay or difficulty in 

 the operation, she may be assisted by placing the foetus in the 

 right position, and gently pulling it with every throe of the 

 dam. After the calf has drawn all he wants at morning and 

 evening, the bag should be thoroughly and quickly emptied 

 of aU the milk. If strong and vigorous, the calf is the best 

 doctor for garget or caked bag. He may be allowed to suck 

 the cow or not, at the option of the owner ; there are reasons 

 for and against the practice, as will be seen under the head 

 of raising calves, and each person must determine in his own 

 case, on which side the balance lies. 



MILKING. This is an important operation, and on its 

 proper performance depends much of the success of the dairy, 

 man. A cow regularly, gently, yet quickly and thoroughly 

 milked, will give much more than if neglected. If a herd of 

 cows be separated into two divisions, each yielding the same 

 quantity of milk, and one is given to a good milker, and the 

 other to a shiftless or lazy one, the latter will speedily reduce 

 his milk much below the quantity obtained by the former ; 

 and if the milkers then exchange cows, they will be found to 

 change quantity too, those before affording the least, soon 

 giving the most. An indifferent milker ought never to be 

 tolerated in a herd ; good ones are cheaper at double the 

 price. It is best to milk at intervals of about 12 hours ; 

 which may be done when pastures are convenient, or cows 

 are soiled or fed in the yard. But as this is not often the 

 case, they should be milked early in the morning and turned 

 into pasture, to fill themselves before the sun is oppressive ; 

 and if they are to be kept up at night, let them browse in the 

 pasture as long as possible before they are brought to the 

 yard. 



MILK 



Is produced from the females of all the warm-blooded animals, 

 which are ennumerated among the mammaliae. The milk 

 of several animals is employed for domestic purposes, among 



M* 



