THE CARE OF THE MILKING HEED 91 



should be housed at night or in very unpleasant 

 weather. 



The old idea of dairymen was that the cow 

 should be given an opportunity for plenty of exer- 

 cise around the barnyard throughout the winter. 

 Today practice has veered to the other extreme, 

 and it is not uncommon to find cows that are never 

 released from the stanchion from November to 

 May. It may be a question for debate as to the 

 ultimate effect on offspring and constitutional 

 vigor, but there seems to be no doubt that cattle 

 will give excellent dairy production under such 

 close confinement. 



Unquestionably, flies and other insect pests are 

 a very serious drawback to cow comfort during 

 midsummer and early autumn. They are annoyed 

 by several species of flies and gnats. It is interest- 

 ing to note that about the year 1890 the north- 

 eastern states received a new fly pest never ob- 

 served until that time. This was christened the 

 Texas horn-fly, the popular belief being that it was 

 an importation from that state. It has thriven 

 marvelously since its introduction and seems to 

 have displaced or driven out what we very un- 

 scientiflcally called the "old-fashioned cow-fly." 



The bot-fly or ox-warble lays its eggs so that they 

 are taken into the stomach of the cow. Later the 

 tiny larva burrows through the body of its host, 

 making a long migration until it establishes itself 

 beneath the skin of the back where it passes the 



