HOW THEY DO IN HOLLAND. 159 



it is at last taken from her. She probably suffers a 

 great deal more, after this attachment is once formed, 

 at the removal of the object of it, than she does at its 

 being taken at once out of her sight. The cow's mem- 

 ory is far greater than many suppose ; and the loss and 

 injury sustained by removing the calf after it has been 

 allowed to suck her for a longer or shorter period is 

 never known exactly, because it is not usually known 

 how much milk the calf takes ; but it is, without doubt, 

 very considerable. If the udder is all right, there seems 

 to be no good reason for leaving the calf with the cow 

 two or three days, if it is then to be taken away. 



The practice in Holland is to remove the calf from the 

 mother even before it has been licked, and to take it 

 into one corner of the barn, or into another building, 

 out of the cow's sight and hearing, put it upon soft dry 

 straw, and rub it dry with some hay or straw, when its 

 tongue and gums are slightly rubbed with salt, and the 

 mucus and saliva removed from the nostrils and lips. 

 After this has been done, the calf is made to drink the 

 milk first taken as it comes from the mother. It is 

 slightly diluted with water, if taken last from the udder ; 

 but, if the first of the milking, it is given just as it is. 

 The calf is taught to drink in the same manner as in 

 this country, by putting the fingers in its mouth and 

 bringing it down to the milk, and it soon gets so as to 

 drink alone. It is fed at first from four to six times 

 a day, or even oftener; but soon only three times, 

 at regular intervals. Its food for two or three weeks 

 is clear milk, as it comes warm and fresh from the 

 cow. This is never omitted, as the milk during the 

 most of that time possesses certain qualities which are 

 necessary to the calf, and which cannot be effectually 

 supplied by any other food. In the third or fourth 

 week the milk is skimmed, but warmed to the degree 



