DAIRY MANAGEMENT, THE MILK TRADE, ETC. 85 



following May, whereas the spring calf, under careful manage- 

 ment, is not sent to grass until the same period. The 

 difference in the results between winter and summer dairying 

 rather depends upon the system of feeding adopted, than upon 

 the difference in yield. A stock owner cannot afford to under- 

 feed even a dry cow ; hence, it is questionable, whether her ration 

 cannot be so improved at a slight cost as to bring in a more 

 profitable return. We proceed to describe what we have found 

 to be economical feeding, commencing with that period, when- 

 ever it may be, that the cow is dried off in order to prepare for 

 the next calf. With a few exceptions, cows should not be milked 

 •closer than within about two months of calving, as they then have 

 time to get up condition, and the calf is always the stronger for 

 this rest on the part of the mother. Occasionally we find cows 

 that are such abundant milkers that they will yield freely to 

 the last, and, indeed, require milking to keep them quiet. This 

 peculiarity is, however, as rare as that of a cow we once knew 

 of in Northamptonshire, which required milking three times a 

 day — a plan deserving more investigation. So far, experiments 

 Slave shown that three milkings give a better return than two 

 During the interval between drying off and the birth of the calf, 

 the food should neither be rich nor too invigorating. If in 

 winter, a run in a well- sheltered yard, or else a turn out on 

 pasture during the day, and a supply of cut straw, with a few 

 roots, night and morning ; in summer, a short, rather poor 

 pasture, will be most suitable. It is the custom of some feeders 

 to omit all concentrated food from the ration between drying 

 and calving. As the cow declines in milk this food may be 

 diminished, but whatever she receives at drying may be given 

 until calving, unless she is a gross or fleshy beast. A milking 

 cow is proverbially the reverse of fleshy, hence, the extra ration 

 will enable her to make flesh with advantage ; but, to feed a 

 high conditioned cow at such a period, and induce her to make 

 more flesh, would only endanger her life at parturition. As this 

 period approaches she will require particular care ; for, if 

 mending too fast, the risk of uterine inflammation is consider- 

 •able, and from such attacks cows seldom recover. Some 

 recommend taking a little blood as a precautionary measure, 

 but we are averse to this as a barbarous expedient, and 



