340 THE VILLA GAKUENER. 



to remain twelve hours after it is cut before it is given to the cow, as, if given 

 fresh, the milk will not only have an unpleasant flavour, but the cow is liable 

 to become hoven, or blown. Where economy is not a paramount object, it is 

 best to feed the cow entirely on grass during the summer. The carrots for 

 winter consumption should be cut like turnips ; and the hay should be 

 chopped by a straw-cutting machine, if practicable. 



404. When a cow is mUked, care should be taken to drain every drop of 

 milk from her udder, as if some is left every day, the cow will gradually 

 become dry. Cows are generally milked at intervals of twelve hours; that is, 

 about five in the morning, and about five in the afternoon ; but, as they always 

 produce least milk during the twelve hours of night, in some places they are 

 milked three times a day ; that is, at sun-rise, at three in the afternoon, and 

 at seven in the evening. 



SuBSFXT. VI. — Renovation of Large Country Villas. 



405. Renovating the gardens of large country villas. — Nothing can be added 

 on this head to what has been already said respecting the gardens of small 

 country villas ; except what relates to the plant-houses, which will form a 

 separate division of this work. 



406. Renovating the grass land of large country villas. — It very frequently 

 happens, in neglected residences, where there is only pasture sufficient to 

 keep one or two cows, that the grass has become deteriorated in quality, in 

 consequence of its being mixed with many of the grosser weeds, such as 

 docks, thistles, crowfoot, &c. ; and with the coarser grasses, such as carexes, 

 cock's-foot, ^vena elatior, &c. A pasture in this state will not be productive 

 of one-half, or even one-third, of the quantity of milk and butter which it ought 

 to yield ; and, though we have no doubt the fact will be doubted by many, yet 

 we can assert, from our own knowledge, that this is the case with the pastures 

 of one-half the villa residences in the neighbourhood of London. The reason 

 is, that persons who have not an intimate knowledge of country affairs are not 

 aware that there are different qualities of grasses, and think that one green 

 field, which can be mown for hay, is just as good as another. They are not 

 aware that grasses may, and indeed should, be cultivated like any other plant ; 

 and that there are many kinds of grasses, even in our best pastui-e fields, 

 which can only be considered as weeds, and which ought to be eradicated. 

 The kinds of these weed-like grasses are different in different soils, and their 

 number increases in proportion as the soil is neglected. Every grass field 

 contains several different species of grass, some of which are deserving of 

 culture, and others are mere weeds ; and, in proportion as the field is kept in 

 "good heart" and properly managed, or neglected and impoverished, will 

 the one kind or the other acquire the ascendency. To the superficial observer, 

 however, all grass-fields are alike ; and, hence, the same routine, as far as 

 respects management, is applied, whatever may be the nature of the soil, and 

 whether the prevailing grasses be wholesome or injurious. The field is shut 

 up in April, in order to produce a crop of hay; and when this is removed in 

 July or August, the cows are tvu-ned in every day, except in the most severe 

 weather, till the return of the shutting-up season. Not to speak of the neglect 

 of draining and manuring, a positive evil resulting from turning the cows 

 out on a clayey undrained soil during winter is, that the ground gets poached, 

 in consequence of which weeds and bad grasses, such as thistles, docks. 



