Inreiitlfjaiions hi 1888 />/■ the Uoijal Agriculhtral Sncletij. 315 
abundant yield and the uniformly ricli quality of milk each of them afforded 
after parturition, and by the manner in -which that supply was subsequently 
kept up. 
It is a part of the sj'stem to weigh the daily produce of each cow, and to 
submit the milk of all of them to a periodical analysis : so that, the milk- 
producin<T capability of each animal being known, any departure from the 
quantitative or qualitative standard would have been recognised at once. 
As no change in these respects was observed in any of tlie cows, it may be 
inferi'ed that their general health remained undisturbed, while the calves 
which they carried were unquestionably ailing at birth. 
Food of Cotvs. — The main foodstuffs on which the several sets of cows 
were fed were drawn from the same stock, and appeared to be sweet and 
sound. They comprised linseed- and cotton-cake, oatmeal, hay and oat- 
straw with bran. From the end of February they also received a few man- 
golds and swedes. Some of the cows received among other things the out- 
sides of the silage slacks, which were first broken in November, and also 
unconsumsd food removed from the sheds where the milking cows are kept. 
While in milk the cows receive, in addition to the above, an allowance 
of wheat or pea-moal, with about one peck of grains and two oz. of salt 
daily. All the cattle have rock-salt. 
Watev-Sujjphj is derived from several sources — for example : (1) From a 
lake ; (2) From a well ; (3) From a pond ; (4) From a tank fed from springs 
and surface-water. For fourteen days during the course of the disease the 
water was carted daily from the lake, but without influencing the prevalence 
of the disease. 
Mnnaf/emcnt of the Breeding Coivx. — Cows in milli are confined to the 
sheds. As they become dry they are transferred to another farm, where they 
remain a short time, and are then transferred to the sheds, where the calving 
operations are carried on. 
All cows are calved down in one of six boxes, arranged in two rows of 
three each, placed back to back. The floors are formed of smooth Portland 
cement concrete ; the drainage is ample and effective, and tlie drains are 
open at each end, £0 that there is a free current of air through them. The 
walls are lime-washed and disinfected periodically. 
All the calves affected were from cows who had been to the part of the 
farm where the cows are sent to calve. To this rule there were no excep- 
tions, but two or three that were calved elsewhere were not affected. 
On May 21, Cow No. 233 calved. Calf continued free from the disease. 
On the 22nd, Cow No. 22 calved. Calf continued free from disease. 
Both the above cows had grazed on land dressed with peat. Subsequentr 
experiment proved conclusively that the diflrculty did not arise from the 
peat. 
Treatment of Cows preparatory to Calving. — Before calving, the cows 
are fed almost exclusively on bran-mash. Three days before the event they 
receive ^ to | lb. of Epsom salts, and after calving, 10 drops of aconite 
and belladonna are given alternately every two hours for the first twenty- 
four. No departure from this course has been made during the existence of 
the disease. 
Management of C'«/iw.— Immediately after birth the calves are allowed 
to take a portion of the first milk of the dam, after which they are removed 
and fed with new milli from cows kept specially for nursing purposes. In 
some instances calves have suffered who have not received any milk from 
the dam, but from the first were fed from a new source. 
Proportion of Deaths to Births by Breeds. — The following statement 
shows the proportion of deaths to births for each breed. It will be seen 
that Jerseys had the highest mortality and Montgomeries the lowest. 
