COW AND CALF CLEANING MILKING. 233 



out of the way of carrion and ill scents. They are 

 ladies as subject to hysteric passion as their betters. 

 They should not, particularly, be driven and harassed 

 about, by rude and heedless boys or girls. 



The cow's time having been regularly noted 

 down, it is better to watch and let her bring forth 

 under shelter, in a roomy place, but absolutely ne- 

 cessary in the winter. She should never be tied 

 up, when near calving, as it might occasion her to 

 lose the calf, by being smothered, or otherwise. 

 Give the cow WARM water, and a warm mash or 

 two, with some sweet hay. The CLEANING or 

 after-burden should almost immediately follow the 

 calf, and should be forthwith removed. It may be 

 retained from cold caught, in which case the cow 

 must be kept warm, and fed as above, since she 

 will be entirely ruined should it not come away. 

 The calf should be permitted to suck the first milk 

 or beastings, until the flow be abated and no danger 

 remain of inflammation. If the calf be weak, it 

 should be held up to the teat. Some young cows 

 have the udder greatly distended and inflamed two 

 or three days previously to calving, and may be re- 

 lieved by part of the milk being daily drawn away. 



The HOURS of milking should be regular, and it 

 is of the utmost consequence that the cow's udder 

 be perfectly drained of milk, to the very last drip- 

 ping, the habit of leaving milk in the udder being 

 in the end greatly injurious. The last milk, more- 

 over, is always the richest, according to the re- 

 mark of an experienced Cheshire dairyman, " each 

 succeeding drop which a cow gives at a meal, excel- 



