MILK PRODUCTION 437 



Cows are, of course, protected from the sun's rays 

 when they are furnished with shade. This may come 

 from trees growing in the pastures, singly or in clumps, or 

 in places accessible to them, by a cheap roof in the pasture 

 sustained by poles and covered with straw, or by the stables 

 in which they are kept in winter. Trees and roofs provided 

 in the pastures answer the purpose until the season of flies. 

 To shade from either of these sources during the continu- 

 ance of the fly season, is the strong objection that they 

 furnish breeding places in which flies multiply with great 

 rapidity. This is owing to the droppings which accumulate 

 in such centers in which the flies deposit their eggs. Be- 

 cause of this, shade furnished by the stable is preferable, 

 since when properly provided it is cooler, and as shown 

 below, flies may be in a great measure excluded. Basement 

 stables are especially suitable for summer " rotection because 

 of their greater relative coolness. 



Absolute protection' from flies in the fly season is not 

 practical without excessive outlay in the materials used 

 in spraying the animals, or in the labor involved in applying 

 them, or in the two combined. Nevertheless very much 

 may be done with profit to promote their comfort at such 

 seasons. These methods of protection are adopted: (i) 

 They are kept in stables during the day. These are 

 thoroughly ventilated and yet kept so dark that flies 

 do not care to stay, much less to work in them; (2) 

 they are sprayed with some preparation offensive 

 to the flies, either through its odor or its sticky 

 character, with sufficient frequency to effect the purpose 

 and (3) they are covered with blankets, light, coarse and 

 cheap, and these are kept in place by elastic bands, so that 

 the underline also is protected. 



Of these three methods, the first is unquestionably the 

 best, as it furnishes more of coolness than the other forms 

 of shade, gives the most perfect of the three forms of 

 protection from flies, and makes it easily practicable to 

 give the cows supplemental food which is necessary during 



