84 THE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



winter consumption in conjunction with silage and a few roots. 

 The old plan of feeding cows entirely upon a grass farm, by 

 grazing in summer and upon hay in winter, although simple and 

 labour-saving, is much too costly as compared with the plan 

 described above. Another plan which has been tried with the 

 Jerseys consists in tethering the cows, shifting them at stated 

 intervals, sometimes as often as three or four times a day. By 

 this system the grass is consumed very closely, and with 

 economy. Heavier beasts, like the Shorthorns or Herefords, 

 will not do on this plan, as they coald not get enough, and, 

 moreover, would not eat clean. Tethering is most useful upon 

 stubble which will not bear cutting, and which is generally 

 folded where sheep are kept. It is, however, only necessary in 

 utilising aftergrowth uj^on lands which are not fenced off. 



In all cases where we have command of sewage on sandy soils, 

 Italian rye- grass should be grown and cut from time to time for 

 cows which are tied up. Very heavy crops may be produced, and 

 a great weight of cattle fed. It must not, however, be forgotten 

 that, as the milk produced by sewage grass is not so sound as 

 that made from ordinary grass, great care will have to be taken 

 in its manipulation as well as in the management of the cream. 

 The object of most dairymen is to have the calf born early in 

 the spring, so that the cows may be ready to yield their milk 

 when required. In such cases the cow should be allowed to 

 dry, when she comes in about November, and during the winter 

 she hves on straw, with a few roots and a modicum of cake, and 

 is thus maintained inexpensively. When winter milk is 

 required, the cow must be calved early in October. In view of 

 the low summer prices and the higher winter prices of milk, 

 winter dairying deserves more attention than it has received. 

 Modern feeding has shown that cows can be induced to milk 

 almost as well in winter as in summer, taking the average of the 

 six months, and while a high average flow is maintained by 

 means of sound and careful feeding, it must not be forgotten 

 that the cow, at the end of her milking period, comes upon the 

 spring grass, which never fails to give a stimulus to her supply. 

 This the spring calver misses altogether. Nor is there any 

 compensating advantage derived from the caK, for that dropped 

 in October becomes strong and fit for turning out in the 



