No. 78.] 89 



operations with the eye of our own bird, and see to it that we be not 

 excelled in any good thing. 



H. MEIGS, 

 Sec'ry. Farmer^s Club. 

 JYew-Yorkj Oct. 22, 1843. 



On the Care of Cows. 



In the matter of appearance and usefulness of cows, great care 

 ought to be taken of them; their pasture fields ought to be small and 

 well watered, containing only pasture sufficient for two weeks, and 

 then shifted to another field, so as to have a rotation of fields from 

 one to four, which will make one month and a half before they return 

 to the same pasture. 



As soon as they are removed from a pasture, horses ought to be put 

 in; sufficient numbers to eat all the grass that is around the cows' ma- 

 nure, which grows up, that the cows have left. The horses will free 

 the ground of all the high grass, and give a chance for the more sweet 

 and lender grass to grow up, and the pasture will be more healthy 

 by having horses to pasture in them for about two weeks after the 

 cows leave them, and then let the pasture rest about four weeks; that 

 is, the cows to occupy two weeks, then the horses two weeks, and 

 then rest four weeks. 



A jackass is healthy among horses, and will eat thistles or weeds 

 that neither a horse nor a cow will eat. If it is not convenient to 

 get horses, the pasture ought to be mowed as soon as the cows are 

 removed; that is, all the high grass cut down, even if it is not more 

 than two inches above the other grass. No wuld grass or weeds 

 ought to be permitted to get much ahead of the sweet and good grass. 

 Coarse and sour grass, by permitting it to grow, will supercede or 

 injure the good. But by cutting it down every two months, its own 

 nature will be changed. One horse to four cows will keep both horses 

 and cows in a healthy state, and generally regulate the pasture; but 

 the mower ought to go through all pasture lands every month, and 

 cut all high grass and weeds. The fences ought to be kept good. 

 Every field ought to have a sufficiency of water in it. For manner 

 of bringing water where it may be wanted, see aqueduct. 



The cows ought to be regularly salted; milch cows twice a week, 

 and dry cattle once a day, about a quarter of an ounce to each at a 

 time. Milch cows ought to be put in a good dry pen or barn-yard 

 every night, and there milked night and morning, none to get out 

 until all are milked, and they ought to be salted in the yard, but never 

 until all is done milking, and not oftener nor more than is described 

 above. The owner, or some faithful person, ought to be particular 

 and see that all are milked and the udder well rubbed, if any lumps 

 are in the bag. A cow will milk more, and the milk will be better, 

 by having it all taken away every time. If the teats are sore, or the 

 cow hard to milk, insert a silver tube, smooth at the ends, and as thick 

 as a good sized knitting needle, and push it gently up the whole of 



[Senate No. 124. j M 



