18^ THE dairyman's MANUAL. 



to be picked up to brush the flies from the forelegs when 

 they become troublesome there. 



In the summer the cows are brought in at five o'clock 

 in the afternoon and put into tlieir places in tbe clean 

 stable. They are very eager to come in, and are usually 

 standing at the gate waiting for an hour or more before 

 the time comes. If not, they come at the call of a whis- 

 tle which they have learned is the summons to their 

 evening meal. The same routine as to brushing, feeding 

 and milking is gone through, and when all is finished 

 it is supper time. After supper, and the last thing before 

 retiring for the night, the stable is visited and the cows 

 looked over, the fastenings being especially examined to 

 be sure every cow is safely secured. This is quite im- 

 portant and an instance of this may be noted. Once 

 when visiting a well-known breeder of valuable Jersey 

 cows and a noted maker of fine butter, about nine 

 o'clock in the evening we suggested that a walk be 

 taken and the cows looked at, remarking that this 

 was never neglected in our dairy. Our fiiend laughed 

 at our overcarefulness, but went out and passed 

 through the stables. On coming to the loose stalls 

 where the most valuable cows were kept, one was found 

 down with her head under the manger and the tie rope 

 tangled around one foreleg and her neck. It was a fatal 

 predicament had the cow not been quickly released, for 

 the rope was pressing on the cow's throat. '^ That idea of 

 yours has saved me 81500," said my friend as we returned 

 to the house, '^for that cow is sold to go to Canada at 

 that price as soon as she has calved, and she could not 

 have lived in that way until morning." 



For the sake of safety, all the inner doors in the 

 stables are made to open and shut from the inside next 

 the cows, and to shut themselves by coiled springs and 

 fasten with a spring latch, so that no animals can get 

 from their own place to the others or out of doors, or 



