376 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



England, and it owes its origin, in these animals likewise, to an 

 insufficient or innutritions food-supply. 



Anaemia may also be induced by any cause which acts as a 

 drain upon the circulating blood. Loss of blood by hsemorrhage, 

 or by protracted or debilitating diseases, of necessity impairs the 

 quality of the blood, and induces anaemia. The secretion of too 

 large quantities of milk often also acts as a drain upon the 

 blood, in those instances when the food supply is not corre- 

 spondingly large ; thus anaemia is set up. 



Kegarding the feeding of dairy cows, four main points, says 

 Mr. Walker, in his Cow and Calf, must be kept in view ; and 

 so valuable are these hints that we take the liberty of quoting 

 them : — ** The first point is to aid the increase of milk ; the 

 second, to improve the quality of the milk ; the third, to main- 

 tain the condition of the cow; the fourth, to produce manure of 

 good quality. Too often the careless dairyman only looks as 

 far as his milk-pail is concerned, and fails to notice that his cow 

 is wasting flesh day by day, until at last the milk falls off", and 

 the animal has to be dried much sooner than she need have been 

 under more judicious treatment. Sweet, well-harvested hay 

 obtained at the latter end of June or first week in July is of the 

 very best quality, providing it is not gathered in too quickly to 

 heat in the stack. Grass cut at this season contains the maximum 

 of sap. Most of the plants are in full bloom, and therefore the 

 crop is in its proper state for cutting. Grass is not the most 

 nutritious when the seed is ripe. Many of the seeds are dis- 

 lodged in haymaking, and the remainder of the vegetal is woody, 

 indigestible, and innutritious; thus such fodder is particularly 

 unwholesome for the dairy cow. Clover hay, when well got, is 

 supposed to be a better milk-producer than meadow hay ; but, as 

 Mr. John Walker points out, this would much depend upon the 

 sort of land the hay was cut from. Howbeit, it is sufficient for 

 us to observe that either meadow or clover hay is wholesome for 

 the dairy cow when well harvested, and must, when the grass 

 season is over, form the principal food. Bran stands high in 

 the list of good milk-producers. It increases the flow of milk, 

 improves its quality, and holds up the condition of the cow, 

 while no unpleasant flavour is imparted to the butter ; it is also 

 a cheap diet. This food should be given warm in mash shape, 

 and two gallons per day will be a good allowance with other food." 



