GENERAL CARE OF CATTLE. 345 



be found to greatly improve the flow of milk 

 where it has been neglected. Of course in a 

 state of nature cows only gave a comparatively 

 small quantity of milk, and that only for a rel- 

 atively short period. The demand upon them 

 was irregular and for just the amount required 

 by the calf, and the calf was weaned as soon as 

 it was able to shift for itself. The experience 

 of every farmer is that it injures the milking 

 qualities of the cow to let the cow and calf run 

 together for a long period. The cow "lets down" 

 only small quantities of milk at a time, and 

 when she is called on for a full milking twice 

 a day fails to properly respond. This is well 

 illustrated on the Western ranges, where the 

 cows are small milkers and go dry very early. 

 There is scarcely one of our improved breeds 

 which has not the milk-producing power de- 

 veloped far beyond the original capacity of 

 the unimproved animal. But this quality varies 

 in the animals of every breed and through a 

 wide extent. Not only so, but careful experi- 

 ments have proved beyond question that milk 

 production in the individual is subject to atro- 

 phy and to development. The same animal's 

 production, both in quantity and quality, is de- 

 pendent on the treatment it receives. If begun 

 with in early life, too, the amount of develop- 

 ment possible is far greater than where there 

 has been neglect till after maturity. If we 



