204 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
COMET, [ 162 .] 
Calved January, 1851. Bred by Ambrose Stevens ; the property of Lindley Brothers, of West Meriden, Conn. Sire, Albert, (2); 
grand-sire, Baronet, (6); dam, Curly, (610) ; by Tremayne, (321); grandam, Young Curly, (99) ; by Young Sillifant, (121); great- 
grandam, Curly, (95), by a son of Forester, (46); great great-grandam, Tulip, bred by Richard Merson, of Brinsworthy, Devon¬ 
shire. This animal was calved soon after the arrival of his dam here. 
MILK FEVER IN COWS. 
RESULTS OF EXPERIENCE. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
Your correspondent at Stamford, C. W., 
desires information as to the best method 
of treating this disease. My experience has 
been somewhat limited, being confined en¬ 
tirely to my own small stock of cows. I 
will give it, however, because it goes to con¬ 
firm the views expressed by Mr. Lewis F. 
Allen, as published in your last number, and 
as corroborative testimony, therefore, may 
be considered of some value. 
For nearly thirty years 1 have kept cows, 
always selecting the best milkers, and dur¬ 
ing the first few years of my experience, I 
lost several fine cows from, this disease, 
which died from three to six days after 
bringing a calf. 
Some sixteen years ago, I procured a 
young cow of the short-horned breed from 
the hand of Mr. Lewis F. Allen, which pro¬ 
ved to be an extraordinary milker, both as 
to quantity and quality. From this cow I 
have raised several, crossing with the Ayre- 
shire, Hereford, and native, all of which, 
save one, proved to be good milkers, and all 
very liable to this disease, and it was not 
until I had lost one of this stock from milk 
fever, that I learned that in this as well as 
other matters, “ an ounce of prevention is 
better than a pound of cure.” So far as my 
experience goes, none but good milkers, 
such as secrete large quantities of milk be¬ 
fore or immediately after calving, are much 
subject to the disease. After ten years I 
employed a farm laborer, a German by 
birth, who in his ‘ fatherland ’ had large ex¬ 
perience in the management of milch cows, 
and to his care I committed mine. His mode 
of managing them, immediately before and 
after calving, was somewhat as follows : 
Most of my cows secreted large quantities 
of milk for say two weeks before calving, 
especially if it occurred after the grass had 
got a good start in the spring. These he 
would milk as often as once in two days for 
a week or two before calving, as circum¬ 
stances seemed to require. After the calf 
was brought forth, he was very particular to 
prevent the cow from eating the after-birth, 
and for this purpose I have known him to 
sit up and watch all night. When the calf 
had taken its first meal, which it will do as 
soon as able to stand upon its feet, he would 
milk the cow perfectly clean, repeating it at 
least three times a day for three, four or 
more days, at the same time rubbing the ud¬ 
der with lard to prevent inflammation. Af¬ 
ter milking the cow the first time, he would 
give her a pailful of tepid water to drink, 
with perhaps a pint of corn meal, and a 
small handful of oil meal stirred into the 
water ; this, with a small lock of good hay, 
if befoie grass, would be all the sustenance 
she would get for twenty-four hours. From 
that time he would gradually increase the 
amount and frequency of the food and drink, 
always taking the chill from the water for 
two or three days, until in the course of a 
week or ten days, she would be able to have 
full feed. If the cow should not come in 
until turning out to pasture, he would give 
the tepid mush as before stated, otherwise 
have the cow to regulate her own diet from 
the pasture. 
My cows have been treated in this man¬ 
ner ever since with entire success, and ex¬ 
emption from the milk fever. 
Buffalo, May 16, 1856. O. A. 
A FARMER’S WIFE ON CHEESE-MAKING. 
To make good cheese, there are several 
rules to be observed : first, everything used 
in the business should be kept as sweet and 
clean as possible. The night’s milk should 
be strained in tin or brass kettles, and hung 
in a sweet, cool place, as milk will absorb 
impurities. In the morning it should be 
warmed and mixed with the morning’s milk 
in your tub or whatever you make your 
cheese in. When ready for the rennet, the 
temperature should be from 80° to 84°. Put 
in sufficient rennet to come in 40 or 50 min¬ 
utes ; cover warm to prevent the cream from 
rising. When the curd will not adhere to 
your finger, then cut it with a long’knife sev¬ 
eral times across ; let it stand fifteen min¬ 
utes ; then take your’ dipper and turn the 
curd gently from top to the bottom ; let it 
remain fifteen minutes longer, and break 
carefully with your hands. Place the strain¬ 
er over and let the curd settle ; then dip off 
some to warm to a natural heat. Dip off also 
some of the cold whey ; turn on the warm 
and stir it with your dipper slowly. Repeat 
this several times. To prevent the curd set¬ 
tling together, it should be stirred and bro¬ 
ken carefully and often; the temperature 
should be from 100° to 110°. In the course 
of two hours from the time you commenced 
warming the whey, when you can squeeze 
some of the curd in your hand, and it seems 
cooked and dr^y/it will do to dip into your 
drainer. It should then be stirred carefully 
to prevent adhering together, but should not 
be squeezed or handled roughly. The whey 
should work off clean, as it is very easy to 
waste the best part of the cheese by being 
in a hurry. It should strain very dry and 
get cool; then add five tea-cups of Liverpool 
