308 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
Running water is always fashionable with the 
cows and all grazing animals. See old brindle 
slaking her thirst, and the calf about to plunge 
in after her, though he is innocent of all other 
beverages than his mother’s milk, and reckless 
of the feeble persuasive behind him. The quad¬ 
ruped has manifestly two feet too many for the 
young -biped:tugging at the halter. The clear 
stream is more frequently visited and more en¬ 
joyed by the herd, than the most popular water¬ 
ing place by the lords of creation. It is much 
more essential to their health and thrift. 
A very large portion of our Northern States 
is clearly indicated by nature as a grazing re¬ 
gion. We have clear running streams, often fed 
by cool springs running through green pastures, 
and the herdsman has hardly to lift his hand to 
get an income from his fields. He may turn in 
his cattle in Spring, and take them out in Au¬ 
tumn or before, with a large addition to their 
weight ready for the butcher. But where fields 
are near the farm-house, it doubtless pays better 
to keep a dairy, and to look for the income in 
the shape of milk, butter, cheese and veal. In 
this case it is still more important that the water 
should be clear and pure. Water affects the taste 
of milk much sooner than the flesh of animals. 
As a rule, where there are swift running streams 
nothing more is to be desired for a watering 
place; There can be no stagnant water, and all 
impurities are immediately carried off. But it 
frequently happens in small pastures and upon 
level land, that there is no brook, while in ad¬ 
joining fields there are springs upon elevated 
ground. In such cases it is not a very expensive 
job to bring in water with a lead pipe, or bored 
logs, delivering it in a wooden trough. This is 
much better than to dig a hole in the ground, and 
puddle the bottom with clay. In such drinking 
holes the water becomes stagnant, and is made 
foul with the droppings of cattle. If the trough 
is raised a little above the ground, they can only 
get their noses into it, and the flow of water, 
though small, is as sweet and pure as the largest 
stream. The next best artificial contrivance is 
the hydraulic ram, by which we may raise 
water to any desired hight, and supply reser¬ 
voirs, of large or small capacity. But to work 
the ram we must have a running stream of con¬ 
siderable size. This is more frequently used to 
furnish yards and houses than pastures. If the 
choice is between a well and one of these pud¬ 
dled holes, by all means dig a well. 
The Family Cow. 
It Is of the pet Alderney or Devon, kept by 
the villager, that we speak. The prime object 
is to get milk enough for the family, with a large 
dash of cream for the berries, and to be frozen 
in that cheap Summer luxury—ice cream. She 
is the sole occupant of the stable, daily carded 
and brushed by Patrick, the admired of the mas¬ 
ter, and half idolized by the group of children 
who watch the milking process at morning and 
evening with longing eyes, and learn that milk 
does not come from pumps. The owner was 
not brought up on the farm, does not know 
good milk, and wants the most of it that can be 
got out of a single animal at a fair price. 
There is not much difficulty in getting a fair 
supply of milk, say twenty quarts or more daily 
from a single cow in the month of June, when 
the pasture is in its glory The quality may be 
improved somewhat by extra feed, even when 
the grass is most flush. The difficulty lies in 
meeting the wants of the family when the feed 
begins to fail in the latter part of Summer. 
A good cow is indispensable—one that will 
give not less than fifteen quarts of milk daily in 
flush feed, and soon after calving. Careful at¬ 
tention, embracing gentle treatment, regular 
feeding and milking, carding, etc., is another 
requisite. But with all these things she must 
have extra feed when the grass diminishes. Suc¬ 
culent food, corn stalks, millet, mown grass 
fresh from the meadow, are all very desirable 
if they can be had. If we must fall back upon 
meal, there is nothing perhaps quite equal to 
cotton-seed meal to start the milk, at the same 
price. The cow will probably not like it at first, 
but if it be mixed with Indian meal, or if it be 
scattered upon the fresh-cut grass she will soon 
learn to eat it. Many milkmen use one or two 
quarts a day, with great advantage. The ma¬ 
nure made from it is very valuable, and is said 
by some to be worth the first cost of the meal. 
Linseed oil cake is another excellent feed for 
milch cows used for this purpose and for fatten¬ 
ing, much more extensively in England than 
with us. This also adds greatly to the value of 
the manure heap. If these are not accessible, 
use Indian meal, which is within reach of all. 
All these varieties of meal will add as much or 
more to the quality, as to the quantity of the 
milk. If it be an object to make butter for the 
family, it will pay to use meal very freely. If, 
however, we wish to preserve the cow for breed¬ 
ing and raising her calves, she should not be 
made too fat. There is little danger, if she have 
full supplies of succulent food with the meal. 
