188 



Cleaning Neat Cattle. 



Vol. III. 



may be daily seen busily en2:aged in hunting 

 for them, and, as well as ducks, will greedily 

 devour the larg^cst insects. 



Mr. Sheppard was much amused one day 

 in July last year, with observing a cow which 

 had taken refuge in a pond, probably from 

 the gad-fly, and was standing nearly up to its 

 belly in water. A fleet of ducks surrounded 

 it, which kept continually jumping at the 

 flies that alighted upon her. The cow, as if 

 sensible of the service they were rendering 

 her, stood perfectly still, though assailed^and 

 pecked on all sides by them. 



The partridge takes her young brood to an 

 ant-hill, where they feast. The common 

 sparrow, though proscribed as a most mis- 

 chievous bird, destroys a vast number of in- 

 sects. Bradley has calculated that a single 

 pair, having young to maintain, will destroy 

 3360 caterpillars in a week. They also prey 

 upon butterflies and other winged insects. 

 The fly catchers and the warblers, which in- 

 clude our sweetest songsters, are almost en- 

 tirely supported by insects; so that were it 

 not for these despised creatures we should be 

 deprived of some of our greatest pleasures, 

 and half the interest and delight of our vernal 

 walks would be done away. 



Insects are the sole food of swallows, which 

 are always on the wing hawking for them, 

 and their flight is regulated by that of their 

 prey. When the atmosphere is dry and 

 clear, and their small game flies high, they 

 seek the skies; when moist, and the insects 

 are low or upon the ground, they descend 

 and just skim the surface of the earth and 

 waters ; and thus by their flights are regard- 

 ed as prognosticating fair or wet weather. 



I was last summer much interested and 

 amused by observing the tender care and as- 

 siduity with which an old swallow supplied 

 her young with this kind of food. My atten- 

 tion was called to a young brood, that having 

 left their nest before they were strong enough 

 to take wing, were stationed on the lead 

 which covers a bow window of my house. 

 The mother was perpetually going and re- 

 turning, putting an insect into the mouth 

 first of one and then of the others in succes- 

 sion, all fluttering and opening their mouths 

 to receive her gift. She was scarcely ever 

 more than a minute away, and continued her 

 excursions as long as we had time to observe 

 her. When the little ones were .satisfied, 

 they put their head under their wing and 

 went to sleep. The number of insects caught 

 by this tribe is inconceivable." 



The swallow pays a rent for the shelter 

 furnished by the barn. 



B. 



The value of a man consists in what he 

 does well. 



From the Practical Farmer. 



Cleaning 1%'cat Cuttle. 



The following we translated, and we would 

 invite the attention of farmers to the subject. 

 Our German correspondent is the right kind 

 of a man. He gives his notions well con- 

 firmed by experience. — £d. 



Xenia, Ohio, June 14/A, 1838. 

 Mr. Editor, — Allow me, through the 

 " Farmer," to say a word to my fellow farm- 

 ers on, what seems to me, an important sub- 

 ject. In this country, you will seldom find a 

 curry-comb and hand brush in the cow-stable ; 

 but I consider them indispensable in the cow- 

 stable, as in the horse-stable. Why farmers 

 do not curry and brush their cows, I know 

 not, unless it be that they think cleanliness 

 is not so necessary to the cow as to the horse. 

 But if we will, for a moment, consider the 

 evils arising from this neglect, the importance 

 of keeping cows clean, must strike every re- 

 flecting mind. It is well known that no ani- 

 mal, neither horse nor cow, can be healthy, 

 unless the insensihle perspiration ^oes on 

 regularly, and this can never be going on if 

 cows are kept in a dirty stable, and no pains 

 taken to rub oft' carefully the dirt or matter 

 which obstructs the vessels or pores of the 

 skin. 



Wherever cows are regularly curried and 

 rubbed they are invariably stronger and in a 

 healthier condition ; not liable to cutaneovs 

 and other diseases; and fi-om experience I 

 know they yield more milk, and that too of a 

 better quality — a cleaner milk, richer cream, 

 and sweeter butter, necessarily follow. 



I make it a practice to curry my cows once 

 a day very carefully — I never suffer any dung 

 to stick to their coats — it looks bad, and in- 

 jures the cows. This useful animal does not 

 deserve such dirii/ treatment. Give them 

 litter sufficient, and remove the dung regu- 

 larly, and this part is accomplished. 



Many of our farmers seem to think that in 

 order to have healthy and good cows, you need 

 only feed them wi'Ji a sufliciency of food ; 

 however, I am fully convinced from experi- 

 ence, that cows may be w-ell supplied with 

 food, still they will not be as profitable as 

 they would bo, if kept perfectly clean, and 

 free from all kind of dirt and matter ob.-~truct- 

 ing perspiration, as above stated; besides tliis, 

 if cows are kojit perfectly clean, they will 

 thrive upon a less quantity of food. 



Cows are often subject to have swollen teats 

 and udders, as well us other excrescences. — 

 These may be prevented if the parts be occa- 

 sionally washed with warm water. The ud- 

 der and teats should be carefully washed im- 

 mediately before the cow is milked. It has 

 been well said by Loudon: "Go to the cow 

 1 stall — take with you cold water and a sponge, 



