THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



to five o'clock. Each cow is given her mash 

 in turn; and then, commencing with the first 

 fed, each has her burlap blanket taken off, 

 her udder wiped with a damp cloth and then 

 a dry one, and is milked. The feeding, Sid- 

 ney does. After that he washes his hands, 

 and slips on a long linen coat, which buttons 

 at wrists, and straight down the back, like an 

 old-fashioned smock, entirely enveloping his 

 clothing. The stable man strips and wipes 

 the cows off, so that Sidney's hands are not 

 brought into contact with any defiling in- 

 fluences before milking. 



We have two or three milk pails in use, and, 

 as soon as he has drawn a cow's milk, the pail 

 is taken to the spring house, weighed, and im- 

 mediately strained. 



The milking over, each cow is given her 

 allowance of fodder, and left in peace for 

 about half an hour, whilst the men are feed- 

 ing other animals. Then they are turned out 

 into the pasture, the stalls cleaned, and left 

 wide open, to air, all day. 



186 



