26 ON MILCH COWS. 



breathe pure air, and are often found with tubercles in their 

 lungs. Pure air is indispensable, even if it cannot be had with- 

 out being cold. Let them be kept d-y, and p) event aU accu- 

 mulations of dungy matter upon tbc'r hijis. But cows should 

 not be curried severely — an animol of a tb-'n sk'n dreads a 

 lieavy carding exceed rgV. But by u&i'.-'g a si'iT b-i^j-h o'^'y, 

 in many cases, the glossy smoothneGS may be secrrecl; ard the 

 skin left without being scratc'^ed. Th^s sbo.^M be i sed 1 ov/- 

 ever only whe';e the hair is tbin. The skin sho:"d ])e i cached 

 and invigorated every day with soirei'.'irg. e^iectjally but 

 mildly. Should neat cati^e ha/e tbe-r fooa at three feedings 

 in twenty-four hours, o* should t'^ey have little at a ihre and 

 often ? The Jatter will answer, wbere we can be sjie of giv- 

 ing it often. Bat I inclir e irorn observation, to favor the idea 

 of three feedings da'ly. First a.,f ertain hovv much t1"»ey need, 

 and keep to that, varying it only with the weather, giving 

 more in cold than in warm weati'er. Tt is objected that tbey 

 will blow upon it and leave it. This is most apt to be the 

 case with oxen just ojt of the yoke, — aid by the by, it is an 

 excellent custom with many to put nothing before oxen t-ll 

 they have time to cool and get quiet. Cows and all neat cat- 

 tle may become as regular to their three meals as swine do, 

 and thrive as well. When at liberty in good feed, they take a 

 full meal and then lie down ; this, nature teaches, and nature 

 may be as safely followed in the winter as in the summer. 



I do not attempt to give the "marks" by which a good cow 

 may be known. These marks confl'ct too much, and foil too 

 often. If any one wishes to enter vigorously upon such apian 

 as has been hinted at abov^e, a few cows can always be found 

 in every town, and can be purchased. They may cost more 

 than poor ones, and they ought to. But the keeping costs no 

 more, while the prospect of improvement must be enhanced 

 immeasurably. 



The chairman of the committee on milch cows is alore re- 

 sponsible for the views contained in the foregoing report ; but 

 he is happy to add a few remarks communicated by Mr. Bod- 

 well, of Methuen, a member of the committee, in answer to a 

 request for his views on the subject ; a request was also for- 



