44 



2. Care of the Cows. 



Animals that furnish milk for human con- 

 Clean Cows. sumption ought most certainly to be kept clean. 

 They should be carded and brushed at least 

 once daily, during the season of confinement, and also in summer if 

 occasion requires it. The udders and flanks should be brushed 

 shortly before each milking. A good idea is to keep the hair on the 

 udder and flanks cut close by the use of a pair of clippers. Wipe 

 the udder of each cow before milking with a clean damp cloth 

 wrung out in a pail of clean lukewarm water. It will aid very much 

 in keeping dirt from getting into the milk. 



Bedding in the form of sawdust, shavings, straw, or swale hay is 

 an absolute necessity. Horse manure is unsuited for a bedding 

 material. 



If you have a manure cellar, keep it well 



Manure and the ventilated and respectable. Remove the accu- 



Barnyard. mulations as often as possible and do not have a 



reeking mass of decomposing material directly 



beneath your cows, continually giving off odors that penetrate every 



nook and corner of the cow stable and storage barn. 



If you store your manure in a shed outside the cattle stable, do 

 not pile it up directly against the sides of the barn so that it will 

 obstruct the light or leach into the stable. Storage pits should have 

 tightly cemented bottoms so as to save the liquid portion. The best 

 plan is to get the manure from the stable into the field as soon as 

 possible. That the barnyard ought to be well drained goes without 

 saying. It should be situated on a natural slope, and be protected 

 by buildings or fences from cold winds. A basis of cobble stones 

 covered with ashes and cinders makes a very satisfactory bottom. 

 The animals should be turned into this yard as often as the weather 

 permits for a number of hours daily during the season of 

 confinement. 



J. Water Supply. 



Every dairy farmer should carefully guard his water supply. 

 Wells located in or near barnyards are almost sure to be foul, while 

 those near the house are likewise in danger from privy and sink 

 ■drainage, or from the rinsings of dirty milk vessels thrown upon the 



