102 



COW 



CRE 



it at the hinder border, to prevent 

 the escape of the urine. The floor 

 will grow thinner by being gradu- 

 ally shoveled up with the dung ; 

 but it is easy to repair it ; and the 

 faster it wears away, the more the 

 quantity of manure is increased. 



Also, the floors over a cow house 

 should be more tight than they 

 commonly are. It would prevent 

 the descent of dust and chaff*. It 

 would cause the hay above it to be 

 less injured by the air ; as well as 

 less contaminated by the breath of 

 the cattle, and the steam of their 

 excrements. 



There are different ways of tying 

 up cattle. Some prefer one way, 

 and some another. I prefer stan- 

 chions to bows : Not only because 

 the cattle take up less room in this 

 way, but are less apt to waste their 

 fodder. They are also more se- 

 cure in this way ; so that they do 

 not so often break loose, and worry 

 and wound each other. 



A cow house should be in the 

 southerly part of a barn, when it 

 can well be so ordered. The cat- 

 tle will be less pinched with the 

 cold northerly winds. Another 

 advantage is, that the heaps of 

 dung thrown out on that side, being 

 in a sunny place, will be thawed 

 earlier in the spring, so as to befit 

 to be carted out in season. On 

 the north side, ice will sometimes 

 remain in the heaps, or under 

 them, till the last of May, or be- 

 ginning of June. 



In this climate, cattle must be 

 housed near half the year ; from 

 the middle of November to the last 

 of April, and occasionally at other 

 times. Though they must have 



fodder for two or three weeks be- 

 fore and after these periods, I think 

 it advisable to let them lie in the 

 barn yard, and eat out of a rack, 

 unless the weather be stormy or 

 the air uncommonly cold. For if 

 they be kept too warm in the fall, 

 they will become tender, and not 

 winter so well ; or if lodged too 

 warm in the spring, they are more 

 apt to be lousy. 



CRADLE, a frame joined to a 

 scythe, useful in harvesting, by the 

 help of which, three times the 

 quantity of grain may be cut down 

 in a given time that can be with a 

 sickle, and laid tolerably even and 

 regular, for binding in bundles. It 

 is oftener used for cutting oats and 

 rye than for wheat. There is dan- 

 ger, however, of too much waste 

 in cradling, when the corn is thick 

 and heavy, or does not stand up- 

 right ; the labour also would be 

 too painful and tiresome. 



CREAM, the fat part of milk 

 which rises to the surface. 



To produce the greatest quanti- 

 ty of cream, the pans in which the 

 milk is set) should be flat shaped, 

 so that the milk may not be more 

 than three inches deep. Those in 

 common use are not much amiss. 

 They should be well scalded with 

 hot water,' as often as milk is set in 

 them, and be thoroughly cooled. 

 If the place where milk is set be 

 too warm, it will be apt to turn 

 sour, before the cream has had suf- 

 ficient time to ascend ; and none 

 will rise after the milk begins to 

 coagulate. If the place be too dry, 

 the cream will become tough and 

 hard before it is taken, oft'. If the 

 place be so cold as to freeze the 



