CATTLE. 65 



She's wide in her hip, and calm in her eyes ; 

 She's fine in her shoulders, and thin in her thighs 

 She's light in her neck, and small in her tail ; 

 She's wide in her breast, and good at the pail ; 

 She's fine in her bone, and silky of skin ; 

 She's a grazier's without, and a butcher's within. 



IV. GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 



1. The Cow-house. The cow-house should be a capacious, 

 well-lighted, and well-ventilated building, in which the cows 

 or oxen can be kept dry, clean, and moderately warm. It is a 

 mistaken idea that cattle suffer materially by dry cold. It is 

 the wet and the damp walls, yard, and driving rains and fogs 

 of winter, that are so injurious to them. In this respect the 

 Dutch farmers are very particular. They have their cows 

 regularly groomed, and the walks behind them sprinkled with 

 sand.* 



As a general thing, our farmers pay too little attention to 

 the health and comfort of their cattle, and especially the cows. 

 In many cases they are kept in a shamefully dirty condition. 

 The floor of their stalls is allowed to be disgustingly filthy, the 

 floors and walls full of vermin, and the hides of the animals 

 covered with dust and dung. It is not only at the expense of 

 their comfort that cattle suffer this neglect, but to the farmer's 

 loss also. When you see a cow rubbing herself against a post, 

 you may depend upon it that the animal is ill kept and requires 

 a good scrubbing. Cattle, as well as horses, are greatly injured 

 by want of proper attention to the cleanliness and ventilation 

 of their habitation. They should stand on a slightly raised 

 platform, which should be well littered with straw, refuse hay, 

 leaves, sawdust, or some other dry material. 



For tying up cattle, chains, leather straps, wooden bows, 

 and stanchions are used. The stanchions are the most conve- 

 nient for the person having charge of the cattle, but, we think, 

 less comfortable for the cattle themselves than the other con- 



* British Husbandry. 



