1044 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK xn. 



shelter sheds be not provided in the fields, take special care to house 

 the cows during the hours when the "gad-fly" is doing its worst 

 wherever it can. Cows near calving or far advanced in calf should, 

 indeed, be housed during the day in hot weather, or great injury may 

 be done them by being "gadded." Understock rather than overstock 

 pastures, and see that the supply of water is abundant and good. Keep 

 changing pastures, and see that the fences are well maintained. 



AUGUST. 



Observe the state of the pastures, as they begin to fail in the dry 

 weather which in this month is so often prevalent. In such cases 

 reduce the number of the cows pastured, or change them to a field 

 with better grass, if there is one available. But with failing pastures 

 it will pay better to " soil " the cows in the house, or in the sheds and 

 courts, if there is anything to " soil " with. If this is not done, cabbage 

 or kale should be carted on to the pastures for them. Attend to the 

 general health of the cows , give all that are in-milk a regular supply of 

 cake. House pastured cows during very hot days, or at least during 

 the hours when the fly is most troublesome, and house them regularly 

 at nights. If there is any danger of cows breaking out into the corn- 

 fields, make the fences secure, or a whole herd may be destroyed in a 

 night by "hoven," if they should get into a field of ripe wheat. 



SEPTEMBER. 



Failing pastures being now almost universally the rule, give to cows 

 kept regularly out in the fields sufficient supplies of other food, as cut 

 green forage, second-cut clover, tares, cabbage or other roots, and on 

 housing them at night a bit of hay and a morsel of oil-cake. It will be 

 advantageous to cows in-milk to give them towards the end of the month 

 cooked food at least once a day, the last meal at night being the best 

 time. Cows regularly soiled, 'if green forage food be yet moderately 

 abundant, need not have this cooked mess till later in the 1 season, or 

 unless they begin to fail in milk. Eddish should be available now, 

 unless the season has been too dry. Good crops of this meadow 

 aftermath are most valuable in supplementing pastures which are falling 

 off. Attend to the health and general condition of the cattle, and begin 

 preparations for the coming winter. 



