698 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[November 



RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. 



Can Cows hold back their Milk? 



In the May number of the Farmer, page 146, 

 I see an extract from Dr.Dadd's communication 

 in the Stock Journal, stating that cows cannot 

 hold back their milk. This is contrary to the 

 traditions of our fathers. I do not wish to dis- 

 pute the authority, for it seems ,to me good ; yet 

 I do not feel quite disposed to discard my early 

 teachings without a little more light on the sub- 

 ject. .Will Dr. Dadd, or some one, inform me 

 how we shall account for the fact that a cow, 

 used to being slopped while milking, will, many 

 times, refuse to yield her milk until she gets her 

 mess? Why a cow with a young calf often re- 

 fuses her milk until the calf gets hold of one of 

 the teats'? — in short, why does a calf "tnmt?" 

 These things are actual occurrences known to 

 every farmer; and most of us have accounted 

 for them, believing that some, cows acquire the 

 control over the milk, to hold it back at pleasure. 



E. P. Barrows. 



Sheboygan Falls, Wis. 



Every Dairy-man knows that a cow can hold 

 back her milk at pleasure. Certainly she has the 

 power for a limited time, until the udder becomes 

 so distended as to be painful to her. A neigh- 

 bor of ours has a cow, that, while in full flow of 

 milk, will scarcely "give down-' any, for two 

 days after her calf is separated from her. We 

 have ourselves, a cow that*we have often seen 

 prove the truth of the assertion. In that best of 

 all works on dairy management, Flint's Milch 

 Cows and Dairy Farming,'''' the idea is by no 

 means contradicted, and if it be untrue, why is 

 it that a cow will fall off in her milk when she 

 is removed to a strange stable and her food not 

 at all changed ; or when she is milked by a per- 

 son to whom she is unaccustomed? — Editor. 



For an anatomical description of the Cow's 

 Udder, see Flint's Book, - pages 145-6. 



Gravel in Horses— Retention of Urine. 



A friend has handed us a receipt which he 

 says he has often tried for the relief of Gravel 

 in horses, with so much success, that he believes 

 it to be almost infallible. Here it is, "dissolve 



a lump of alum, about the size of a hulled wal- 

 nut, in a quart of warm water. Turn the horse's 

 head up as high as will enable you to pour the 

 drench into his nostril without difficulty. Repeat 

 the dose every half hour until he is relieved." 



By the way, it is much the best way to drench 

 a horse that we are acquainted with, (when the 

 drench does not contain anything of a very 

 highly stimulating or corrosive character,) to 

 pour the dose through the nostril. When this is 

 done, the liquid passes without any difficulty 

 down to the stomach ; whereas, if you drench in 

 the usual manner, you run the risk of having the 

 bottle broken in the horse's mouth, an accident 

 which may prove of a serious nature — or, the 

 horse may have a portion of the drench to "pass 

 the wrong way" and get into his windpipe, pro- 

 ducing strangulation, spasm of the throat, or 

 suffocation. 



The symptoms of Gravel are frequent inef- 

 fectual efforts to urinate, accompanied with pain 

 of a more or less violent character. The horse 

 will roll frequently, and look around towards 

 the flanks, just as he attempts to lie down 

 There will be no swelling about the belly, as is 

 generally the case in an attack of Cholic, and 

 the pains are remittant or periodic. 



We have no doubt that many horses suffer 

 greatly with these symptoms who do not have 

 Gravel in the bladder; but only an irritation 

 near the neck of the bladder, produced by a 

 want of dne care and attention to proper clean- 

 ing and greasing the "sheath." 



The loose spongy black matter which gathers 

 in the sheath when it is not kept scrupulously 

 clean, absorbs urine, and becomes only partially 

 dissolved — retaining its tenacity, it is not passed 

 off, but forms a circle around the base of the 

 penis, resembling in appearance and consisten- 

 cy, common tar. The skin below this matter 

 becomes raw and very sensitive, so that the 

 horse will suffer a good deal of pain whenever 

 he attempts to "pass his water." The existence 

 of this state of things can only be ascertained 

 by a careful examination with the hand, which 

 should be well greased before it is inserted into 

 the sheath. The soft, irritating matter, should 

 be removed as far as is practicable, with the 

 fingers, and the sheath thoroughly swabbed out 

 with warm water until it is clean. Some cool, 

 ing lotion of an astringent character, should 

 then be used several times a day until the horse 

 is cured. 



Decoction of Red Oak Bark, or a solution of 

 Sugar of Lead, are both excellent applications. 



