228 THE dairymaid's MAl^-UAL. 



at pasture, or when they are tender after calving. Under 

 such circumstances, and with young heifers having tender 

 udders at the first milking, the author has used this fast- 

 ening with the most satisfactory effect. 



The principal troubles with milk are, loss of quantity, 

 ropiness, mixture with blood, a bitter flavor, foaming in 

 the churn, difficulty of churning, and white specks in the 

 butter. Most of these come from without the cow and 

 are avoidable. One cow may be constitutionally delicate 

 and more subject to ailments than another mqre robust, 

 and if she is very defective in this resj^ect, she is poor 

 property and should be got rid of as soon as possible. 

 There are some cows that are constitutionally scrofulous 

 and subject to tuberculosis and otlier similar diseases, 

 such as softening of the bones and suppuration of the 

 milk glands. Cows so diseased are easily distinguished 

 by their thin, white skin, the bloodless appearance of the 

 membranes of the eyes, and the occurrence of nodules 

 and swellings about the udder, the joints and the head. 

 The milk of such cows is usually thin, bluish in color 

 and fi'equently mixed with strings of ropy or tenacious 

 fibrous matter which comes from the teats without any 

 other appearance of disorder, and may not be detected in 

 the milk until this comes to be strained. But healthy 

 cows need never cause any trouble in regard to the milk 

 if they are properly cared for. If anything is wrong, the 

 cause may always be found in the manner in which the 

 cow is treated — either the food is suddenly changed; or 

 it is deficient in quantity or quality; or it is not rightly 

 prepared ; or the cow's health is suffering from some 

 accidental cause, as exposure to heat or cold, or storms, 

 or some sudden change which interferes with the circula- 

 tory system ; or she has been chased by dogs, or roughly 

 handled by her companions or her keeper. Something 

 that might have been avoided has happened to produce 

 the trouble. 



