NEAT CATTLE. ' 229 



extremes m feeding, exercise, heat and cold ; give pure 

 food, water and air, and keep the bowels open by roots, 

 bran, shorts and oil meal ; attend to currying and rub- 

 bing ; manage with kindness, gentleness and discretion, 

 or common sense. 



MANAGEMENT OF COWS BEFORE CALVING. 



Great evils may befall the cow which cannot be reme- 

 died; therefore prevent them. During the first of the 

 season that the cow is going with young, she should be 

 pretty well kept, for she has to provide nourishment for 

 her young, and a supply of milk for the dairy ; yet the 

 feed should not be very high ; she should be kept only in 

 gooa condition. 



It is better for the calf, and it is generally better for 

 the cow, as she needs a little respite to recruit her, and 

 It is better for the udder, that she go dry as long as six 

 or eight weeks ; and during a short period previous to 

 calving, the milk is of an unnatural taste, and inferior 

 quality. Many cows go dry longer, even three, four or 

 five months. Three months is not an unusual time, and 

 there can be no great objection to it, when milk is not 

 much wanted in the family. But if a cow goes dry a 

 long time, she is more liable to indurations and other 

 aflections of the udder. 



If she is kept pretty well before going dry, her feed 

 should then be reduced, or it should be less rich ; for 

 being too fat and full of blood at the time of calving, is 

 frequently the cause of difticult labor, garget, milk fever, 

 and sometimes death. High feeding and consequent 

 plethora is worse than starvation and its concomitant 

 poverty. 



After the cow is dry, she should not have many roots, 

 apples, pumpkins, or any food that produces a large Row 

 of milk, lest the bag become too much distended before 

 calving, and the udders become indurated or caked, and 

 garget and other diseases follow in their train. But feed 

 a very few roots, as they tend to keep the bowels open, 

 and are conducive to general health. The best are car- 

 rots, as they tend to keep up a pretty good condition, and 

 2U 



