79 



aro really profitable; to milk, and it is 

 imich more reasonable to suppose that 

 heifers bred from the good milkers will 

 turn out good milkers themselves than 

 those bred I'roni culls. So that any 

 dairyman who, when he finds out a cow 

 is a cull, spays her, gives himselt a chance 

 to get rid of her, and at the same time 

 confers a benefit on the community l)y 

 preventing her going on reproducing 

 culls. 



It is no more necessary to obtain the 

 services of a qualified veterinary surgeon 

 to spay a cow than it is to castrate a steer. 

 In most dairying districts men can be 

 found who can ])erform the operation in 

 an expert manner. The cows to be 

 operated on should be kept for twelve 

 hours without food immediately before 

 the time the operation is to be performed. 

 An ordinary milking bail is ([uite suffi- 

 cient to hold dairy cows. A sapling or 

 piece of quartering tied to the bail, and 

 extending along the off side of the cow 

 can l)e held by a man standing some feet 

 behind her, and will keep her quite 

 secure. It is a mistake to tie a cow up 

 tight with ropes, as directly she finds she 

 is fast she will try to lie down. Perfect 

 cleanliness should be observed during the 

 performance of the operation. A bucket 

 of water with some disinfectant should 

 always be handy to keep the hands and 

 the Avound thoroughly cleansed. The in- 

 cision is made in the triangular hollow 

 between the last rib and the hip, and 

 should be about 4 inches long and 

 about parallel with the last rib. When 

 the hide is cut through the muscles arc 

 nicked until the transverse muscle, which 

 may be known from its name and the 



transverse way in which it runs, can be 

 observed. Then the hand should be 

 bored through the rest, care being taken 

 with the inside lining known as the 

 peritoneum, which is elastic, and may 

 recede from the hand, it will be known 

 when this has been bored through from 

 the fact that the air rushes in, and causes 

 an unmistakaljle sound. 



The next thnig is to find the ovaries, 

 which may be done by pushing the hand 

 back, as if between the two hips and 

 close to the backbone. This may be fol- 

 lowed along backwards, until the hand is 

 in a sort of pouch, known as Douglas's 

 pouch. Then the winnb will be im- 

 mediately under the hand. By bringing 

 the hand forward the womb Avill be found 

 to divide into two spiral-like structures, 

 called coruna, or horns. These are sup- 

 ported by a tough membrane called the 

 broad ligament, just at the end of which 

 and at the end of each horn will be 

 found the ovary, a small hard substance, 

 varying from the size of a pea to that 

 of a pigeon's egg. When the one ovary 

 is found the long curved spaying knife 

 may be inserted with the other hand, and 

 by holding it in one hand and cutting 

 with the other the ovary is cut short off. 

 The same is then done with the other. 

 Care should be taken in sewing up the 

 incision to only take in the hide. Plenty 

 of Stockholm tar, mixed with grease to 

 prevent it from blistering, may be used, 

 and the stitches will fall out in due 

 course by themselves. A very good plan 

 for any man intending to tr\' spaying is 

 to give himself a few lessons by care- 

 fully examining the anatomy of a cow 

 ■which has died or been killed. 



The " Pieter Faure's " Operations, 



TRAWLING IMPOSSIBLE ON THE NATAL COAST. 



THE Cape Government trawler "Pieter 

 Faure," which was lent to the 

 Natal Government for the purpose of 

 testing the Natal Coast, has completed 

 her work, says the "Mercury," and 

 returns to the Cape in a few days. The 



vessel arrived here on Decenilier 11, and 

 started ojjerations a coiiple of days after. 

 The work eonsisted of examining the 

 ground out to the lOO-fathom limit, suc- 

 cessful trawling only being possible up 

 to this depth. The "Pieter Faure" made 



