Cleaning and Care of Cows 155 
turition. Ten days from calving should usually elapse 
before using the milk as certified. 
Care of the cows.—It is customary to clip the hair 
from a considerable portion of the rear of the cow, 
particularly from the udder, flank, tail, thighs, ete., to 
facilitate the ease of keeping them clean. Anything 
that will tend to promote the ease in keeping the 
cows or the stable clean and, at the same time, not 
detract from the comfort of the animal, will aid ma- 
terially in the production of pure milk. In order to 
prevent the brushing of dust or dirt from the cows 
by the milkers at milking time, the cows should be 
thoroughly groomed each day, and lightly groomed or 
thoroughly brushed before each milking. It should 
constantly be borne in mind that dust and all fine 
particles of dirt carry large numbers of bacteria, and 
that the most successful producer of clean milk 
devises means by which these undesirable foreign 
products may be most perfectly excluded. Conse- 
quently, the cows should not be fed just before 
milking time any food that is liable to cause any dust 
or disagreeable or objectionable odors in the stable. 
The time for feeding the dry, coarse fodders is 
immediately after milking, so that the stable may be 
most effectually free from the dust incident to feed- 
ing. It is important, also, to use litter or bedding 
that will make as little dust as possible. Clean, dry 
pine shavings are popular on this account. While 
fine-cut wheat or rye straw may be used, yet the 
shavings are preferred by most dairymen on account 
of cleanliness and ease of handling. ° 
