170 THE FARM. 



should not be too warm, nor should calves be deprived of exercise. Salt- 

 petre in salt is used by experienced herdsmen as a preventive; bleeding will 

 prevent the disease spreading among calves; for, although it is not con- 

 tagious, the cause that produces it in one is apt to produce it in others. 



Treatment of Horn Brittlene-.s — In treating cows for horn brittle- 

 ness, a stock raiser in Austria found no good resulting from feeding bone 

 meal when the water used from a spring was perfectly soft— that is, without 

 mineral matter. But upon changing them to the water of another spring 

 containing carbonate, sulphate and phosphate of lime, and chlorate of mag- 

 nesia in small quantities, the effects were as follows: 1. The animals drank 

 half as much agam as before. 2. The cows gave more and better milk than 

 before. 3. The worst diseased cows at once began to get better, and this 

 was the first case in which any of them recovered Avithout removal. 4. The 

 oxen showed far better condition than could be previously attained on the 

 best of food and with the most careful attention. No fresh cases occurred as 

 soon as the change of water was introduced. 



Sores on Cattle. — There are many sores on cattle, which if kept con- 

 stantly washed clean with cold water and kept free from dirt, would heal of 

 themselves. A verj' careful herdsman says his practice of curing hoof-rot is 

 to thoroughly cleanse the affected parts with warm water and soap; and then 

 apply warm tar between the hoofs. In very bad cases there will be a large 

 core to come out; remove it carefully with the thumb and finger, cleanse the 

 cavity as above with soap and water, and then fill it with warm tar. Keep 

 the parts thoroughly covered with tar, even if it is necessary to use a band- 

 age. Keep the animal in a clean, dry pasture. It is no more liable to affect 

 the whole system than any other ulcer. When once cured there is no danger 

 of its appearing again unless from the same cause. 



How to Milk a Cow. — The most economical way to milk a cow, all 

 things considered, is to milk the* two fore teats clean, leaving off with a 

 pretty full stream, and then milk the hind ones down to a short 

 stream, and, returning to the fore ones, milk them to the same 

 condition, not touching the hind ones again. This will leave the teata 

 empty, and the bag, too. It is a false notion that tugging away at the teat 

 stimulates a cow to give more milk; but, on the contrary, emptying the bag 

 as soon as possible yields more; then the cow can have the extra time to eat 

 which is a better stimulus than either. A slow milker is never tolerated 

 the dairy districts, and a " stripper " is an injury anywhere. The sooner 

 cow is milked, and all the organs connected with feeding, digestion, and 

 secretion are left in their natural condition, the better it is for the cow. 



CaUed Udder. — "When a cow's milk suddenly dries up and become 

 clotted in the udder, it is probably due to garget or inflammation of th^ 

 udder from some one of many causes. The udder is then hard or lumpy| 

 and hot. A remedy is to give the cow at once eight or twelve ounces 

 Epsom salts, with half an ounce of saltpetre, repeating the latter in sij 

 hours. If the milk is difficult to draw, a solution of one ounce of carbonate" 

 of soda in a pint of water should be injected in the teats with a syiinge, and 

 then milked out. This will bring away the curded milk which, if left in, will 

 make matters vei*y much woi-se. If the cow is feverish, the saltpetre may 

 be repeated for a day or two. To bathe the udder in cold water, nibbing 

 ^d squeezing it gentiy for a coiwiderable time, is useful. 



