KEEPING ONE COW. 2? 



wheat bran and corn meal, with hay. On June first she was 

 dried up for a brief resting spell. June fifteenth we began 

 cutting the sugar corn, now waist high. This was run through 

 a cutter (making cuts three-quarters of an inch), and fed to 

 her three times a day, first sprinkling two quarts of wheat 

 bran over the corn, and continuing the hay feed twice a day. 

 At the same time she was taken from the pasture, not to 

 go on again until this experiment was finished. June twenty- 

 second her udder was so distended, it was deemed prudent 

 to relieve it by milking. This was done twice a day for three 

 days. Here, at the South, there is a foolish prejudice against doing 

 this, the belief being strong among the ignorant classes that it 

 will cause the death of the coming calf. In some instances I have 

 found it necessary to relieve the udder daily for a week berore 

 calving ; I never knew any evil to result. At dawn June twenty- 

 fifth there was a fine heifer calf beside her. As soon as con- 

 venient the cow was thoroughly milked, and a bucket of water, 

 with one quart each of corn meal and wheat bran stirred in, and 

 a pinch of salt, was given her, end nothing else except water for 

 twenty-four hours. At evening she was again milked to the last 

 drop, and the calf left with her during the night. Next morning 

 a small feed of three quarts of wheat bran, and one quart of corn 

 meal, made pretty wet, was given her, and her udder again thor- 

 oughly emptied. After milking, a small feed of hay was given, 

 and a pail of water placed near. The calf was separated from 

 her, but within sight. At mid-day the calf was allowed to take 

 her fill, and afterwards the udder stripped. At evening, as the 

 cow seemed to be free from any indications of fever, or inflamed 

 bag, she was given a full mess of corn meal, wheat bran, cotton- 

 seed meal, and hay. Her calf took her supper, and the udder 

 was again stripped ; that night the calf was taken from her, 

 never to suck again, as fresh milk in a city was too valuable 

 to feed to even a registered Jersey. Having, in years past, lost 

 several very fine cows from over-feeding and under-milking, 

 at c living time, I cannot urge too strongly what Col. Geo. E. 

 Waring calls " high starvation " at this critical period in a cow's 

 life. If a cow has been decently cared for up to the day of calv- 

 ing, she needs nothing but rest, quiet, and a light mash, warm in 

 cold weather for twenty-four hours, and then but light feeding for 

 two or three days. But be sure to empty her udder completely at 

 least twice every twenty-four hours, and if the cow is a deep milker, 

 then three times ; with this treatment, the feed can be gradually 

 increased to all that she will eat up clean. 



