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THE Benefits of making use of a brass Skimming-dish.--Inmy way home from Sussex , on the 15th day of June, 1749, I rode alongwith a grazier, that lives near Towcester in Northamptonshire, whoinformed me he had lost sixty horned beasts by the reigning murrain distemper; nineof which number died this last spring. He says, he received eighty pounds from theKing for forty of them; that he now keeps forty cows for carrying on a butter dairy,and sells his butter all the year, at a London market, for seven-pence a poundin winter, and six-pence in summer. He says, there is sold at some shops a brassskimmer for milk, about the bigness of a common wooden skimming-dish; this, he says,takes the cream away right, because it lets the milk through its little holes, andretains the cream. But he says it must be done exceeding quick, by putting the creaminto a porringer or pan, which is to be held by the other hand, lest the cream passalso through the holes. This, says he, is an improvement; for by discharging themilk from the cream, the butter will keep sweet the longer, be better tasted andfirmer, milk being weaker than cream. Thus the purest cream may be gathered for makingthe very best of butter, far exceeding the old common way of blowing off the creamin the skimming-dish with the mouth, which does it less cleanly, and less free ofthe milk. But, say some, the more milk the more butter; true, but then that butteris so much the worse, as there is milk mixt with the cream. This also proves thesetting of milk over embers for scalding it, and thereby raising a clouted cream,to be much more profitable than to wait the taking cream off cold milk, because theclouted cream is easily taken neat and intirely off the milk, without a mixture ofit, at once.

  The Nature of what the Dairymen call Second-butter,by which may be discovered how ignorant Persons are imposed on that buy Butter.--Thisgreat dairyman says, That to make the first and best butter, his wife skims every12 hours in summer, and forbears to do the same but a little longer in winter, andthus skims twice for making this prime, best butter: And for making a second butter,she likewise generally skims the same milk twice at every 12 hours end. By this method,he says, his wife gets cream enough to make a dozen pounds of this second butter,after 12 or 13 dozen pounds are made of the first butter from the same milk. Nowthis second or back butter is worth but very little more than half the value of thefirst prime butter: Yet our London butter-woman-seller sells it all alike,for one and the same price, either to ignorant buyers, or to those who are more knowing,who, by being in her books, dare not dispute the badness of this butter. And thatfor informing this butter-seller, he tells me, that leaves, or some other mark islaid to this second butter, for preventing a mistake, lest unwarily she sells theworst butter for the best to her best customers.--If he skims so often in summer,he must have a very cold dairy-cellar indeed, for these several skimmings are notin common practice.

  Whey Butter.--He tells me they can skim theirwhey but once at 12 hours end. This whey-cream, he says, makes worse butter thanthe skim-milk second or back butter, for it will not keep, and presently eats rankish.I must confess that the square, leaden, milk-coolers in a cellar will very much contributeto the keeping of milk sweet a long time, which he tells me that he uses altogether,else I cannot understand how he can skim so often, and yet get such sweet butteras to hold good in summer time to London, after it has been drawn in a waggonabout fifty miles.

  How in the Management of a Vale Great Dairy theyget their Fewel, and keep their Cows from having the red Water, or pissing of Blood.--InBuckingham, Bedford, and Northampton shires there are many greatcheese and butter dairies carry'd on, without so much as an acre of plow'd ground,who have only a dwelling-house and one or two calf-houses belonging to them. In sucha grasing farm they perhaps keep forty, fifty, or sixty cows, and always milk themabroad summer and winter, and if snows fall deep, they fodder, and sit on a stoolin the snow to milk. And when a calf falls, it is housed, and the cow kept in a nightor two, but they quickly sell off the calf for employing the milk to make butteror cheese. Here many have few or no hedges, but part their grounds by rails, banks,or ditches, which constrains them to get cow-dung, and cut (if there be any) scrubbedblack-thorn or gorze, for two reasons, one is for fewel against winter, the otheris to prevent their cows cropping the young shoots of these vegetables; for if theyare let to grow any thing long, they are apt to cause cows to piss bloody water.Fewel being thus scarce, they go with a cart or wheel-barrow, and take up cow-dungsoft or hard, and continue doing this at times all the summer, for getting good storeof it against a long winter, and for relieving the ground from a cover of it; forif cow-dung is let alone, it will grow hard, and kill the grass underneath it; forthis dung, though very soft at first, will harden to that degree, as not to be washedaway by rains for a year or more. Now the value of this cow-dung does not end here,for after it is burnt, by way of kitchen-fewel, the ashes of it are excellent todress their grasing grounds, and therefore the poor people sell them to the grasingfarmers for a crown a cart-load.--If your cow should piss bloody water; you may givethe following medicine:

  To stop bloody Water piss'd by a Cow.--Takepennygrass, scabious, and camomile, a little of each, a few cloves bruised, or somecinnamon; boil these in a quart of old verjuice; give a pint of this warm to a cowfasting out of a horn; if it does not answer at first, renew it three or four mornings.--Butfor four other receits to cure this malady, see my Modern Husbandman, soldby Mr. Thomas Osborne, in Gray's-Inn, London.

  The good and bad Properties of Cows.--A bookentitled The Country Housewife, without an account in it of the advantagesthat cows may yield, and how such advantages may be acquired, would, in my opinion,render me a preposterous author, and be a tacit declaration I was never owner ofa cow; or if I was, that I knew not how to write of her qualities, which is perfectlynecessary in the work I have here undertaken; for cows are certainly the most usefulbeasts belonging to a country-house, because at gentlemen's country-houses and atfarms, their produce of milk, cream, butter, cheese, and the management of them,generally belongs to and comes under the woman's province; wherefore their qualitiesought to be enumerated. Yet so necessary as this is, many of them have slipt thenotice of most authors; therefore as I am an owner of cows, and find them pay mewell, by their enabling me to make butter or cheese, or for suckling calves for thebutcher, especially in the summer vacation time, while my crops of corn, grass, fruit,and wood are growing, I have to say that that cow is a very valuable one that gives4 gallons of milk in one day, in her prosperity; though I have heard of a cow, thoughtto be worth ten pounds, that gave five gallons a day, in the months of Mayor June, on a full bite of grass, and continued giving milk till near hercalving (but I say, it is a good cow that gives three gallons a day) while some othersgo dry two or three months: She was a healthful one, hardy, gentle, and easy milked.Such a cow as this deserves to have her breed increased; for where one cow meritsthis character, there are twenty that do not. I have one cow, and she is of the Holdernessbreed, that would give milk almost to her calving; but this no prudent farmer willsuffer, because it would surely damage himself and her; for it is well known to uscow-keepers, that although it is a common braggadocio saying with some sellers ofcows, that she'll give milk till she calves, yet I am sure, if this is allowed, itwill not only reduce the cow's flesh and make her lean, but cause her to bring avery small calf. However, I knew a farmer at Eaton in Bedfordshire,that was perswaded, by the ignorant sort, a cow would not be the worse if she milkedwithin a week or fortnight of her time, and he took their advice; the cons[e]quenceof which was, it sunk the cow's flesh, caused her to bring a very small calf, andmade her give a very little parcel of milk for some time after: Whereas had the samecow been dried a month or better before her calving, she might very probably havekept herself in good flesh, brought forth a large calf almost half fat, and havegiven a large quantity of milk besides. This is now so well known among judiciousexperienced dairy farmers, that there are few or none but what observe to dry theircows a month, before calving, if they don't dry of themselves; as many do, for thereare some sort of cows, especially the red sort, that give the most milk for a time,and then they'll dry of themselves within two or three months of their calving. Andit is this sort therefore that bring the larger and fattest calves, and give thegreatest quantity of milk, till they thus dry of themselves: For the same reasons,when a cow is wanting of this quality by nature, the drying of her in due time shouldbe forced; a case contrary to the notion of a late famous author, who, in his GeneralTreatise on Husbandry, has these words--"Nor can I find any reason, whythe black cattle, which are thus constantly in milk should not bring a well-growncalf; for seeing how moderately they dispense their milk at each meal, we may reasonableinfer, that they give only what nature allots them to spare from their nourishment,and rather seems to be a necessary discharge of juices than any inconvenience, eitherto the cow, or the calf she is pregnant with. For in such a case, the calf will naturallydraw to itself from the mother what juices are necessary for its support, and ifit required more than the cow could conveniently furnish, the cow must then necessarilylanguish, and as surely lose her milk, so that while we find milk in a cow, we cannotreasonably suppose, that either the cow or calf want nourishment." Thus farthis author.--Next, I have further to observe, that to have a right sort of cow,either of the red or black sort, she should be thin-skin'd, taper-headed, slender-neck'd,low-leg'd, well-shoulder'd, smallish teats, with a round thin-leather'd bag, in refusalof those cows that are furnish'd with parts of a different make and shape.

  How to milk an unlucky Cow and prevent her Mischief.--Asinsignificant an article as this at first may seem to appear, I am sure there arethousands that stand in need of its information. In Cheshire and many otherplaces the milk-maid wears a black hat, partly because she is obliged to push andhold her head hard against the cow's flank, to discourage her from kicking the pailof milk down, for such pressure somewhat diverts the motion, because as the maidpushes her head hard against the cow, the cow naturally leans her body hard againstthe maid's head, by which she can feel the cow's intent to strike, and so take awayher pail in time; yet I call this only discouraging, for it will not always preventit, for some cows will kick to that degree, that they must have their legs fetter'd,by tying them above the hind middle joints. Others again are so unlucky, that toprevent the damage of their kicking, they must be milked through a hurdle. Of thissort are many of the Holderness breed, that have large bodies, short horns,taper-headed and necked, thin-skin'd, and give a great deal of milk, but are veryapt to kick, break through hedges, and leap over gates and stiles. And when theyare so very mischievous, as some of them are with both head and heels, they are betterparted from than kept; if kept, the milk that is got from them must be by only milkinga single teat or dug at a time into a pint wooden or earthen dish or bowl, and thatin such danger, as makes it perhaps not worth while to keep her. But this is notall the mischief that belongs to an unlucky cow, for many of these kickers are veryapt and prone to buck other cows, spoil their bag (as I have known an instance of)and sometimes the calf in the cow's belly; for which last reasons, all cows shouldhave wooden tips fastened to the end of their horns, to prevent the great dangerthat weak and underline cows are liable to suffer by those we call master cows; forwoeful experience has given us many deplorable cases of mischief done by cows hornsto men, women, children, and beasts. Therefore I have always every one of my cowshorns thus served, whether they be of the unlucky or the gentle sort; for althougha cow may be gentle at other times, yet when she has a calf by her, there is dangerin feeding, milking, and suckling her. The next thing I have to advance is, thatif the maid milk cross-teated, that is to say, if she milks a backward dug of thefurther side with the forward dug of the hither side, it is thought the cow is notso prone to kick, as if milked by the next two side dugs, but that she'll give hermilk down the freer for it. And indeed, this cross-milking is both easier for thecow and the milker. Again, it is the necessitous case of many farmers to feed theircows at a considerable distance from the house, in summer-time especially, whichtravel brings a beast under great heat and pain, with their full bags of milk; thereforecross-teat-milking is here a beneficial service, because it discharges the milk fromboth sides the bag in equal quantities, and thereby cools, eases, and refreshes thecow at once. It is likewise to be observed as a material point in milking of cows,and which is the custom of some dairies, that after all the cows are milked, themilker begins again to milk, or what we call drip that cow which was first begunwith, and so on, dripping every one of the rest. One intent of which is to preventmilk being left in the bag; for some of the idle sort of milkers are frequently guiltyof this, and then it greatly damages the beast, and prejudices its owner, by lesseningthe after quantities of milk, and drying the cow the sooner. A second intention is,that by thus dripping or milking a cow over again, that cow which held up some ofher milk the first time, may give it all down at the second milking. A third intentionis, that by this dripping of cows, there will be got what we call stroakings, whichbeing little inferior to cream may be added to it and increase its quantity. Butfor performing this with judgment, it is hardly worth while to do it, where thereare but few cows kept, and where there are many there should be more hands than ordinaryto dispatch the dripping, else the cows may be obliged to stay too long from feeding,and their bags or udders replenished with new milk, to the lessening of the nextmeal. Again I have to observe, that a slow milker damages a cow, by lessening hermilk; when one that milks briskly, and is used to milk her, preserves her milk ingood order. And for her longer continuance in plenty of milk, that cow that calvesin April or May stands the best chance for it, because the first springof grass meets her; and although some of the small Welsh cows will live ona shorter bite of grass, and are hardier than the larger sort, yet their carcasesare of the less value to fatten. Therefore where there is meat enough for a largebeast, I am of opinion, they'll pay more than a smaller one, because when they goguest and have done milking, and are fatted for the butcher, their price will belarge accordingly, as I have proved, by fattening my own cows abroad and at home.

  The kicking Cow.--There are many cows broughtunder very ill behaviour, by means of a young ignorant milker, who, because the cowdon't just please her, rashly strikes or scolds at her, when a gentle behaviour wouldincite the same in a beast, witness what some cows are brought to by the like. Ihave seen more than one cow led by a string in the hand of a boy or girl, for thebetter confining the cow to feed on common field ground between corn lands; and itmay be depended on as a true maxim, that if a cow can't be broke of her ill tricksby fair means, it can never be done by foul.

  How to hinder a Cow from holding up her Milk.--Forthis there have been several devices made use of: As first to twist a rope hard aboutthe cow's body while she is milking: Secondly, to fling cold water over the loins,and then directly to milk her: But this should be done for several days: Or if thecow is to be suckled, milk her first, and let the calf draw away the rest, for acow will (or is forced to) give it a calf, when she will not to a milker.--Or tomake her less regard holding up her milk, let her have hay or other meat before herwhile she is milking.

  The Life of a Cow saved by the Care of a Servant-Maid.--Itwas the maid-servant of a very small farmer, who kept but one cow in all (but ofso kind a breed as to give milk enough to supply his house, and some to sell besides.)And thus this cow became part of the poor man's bread. Now it happened that as thefarmer had but little ground, and that under crops of grain, he was necessitatedto turn this his cow into the high-ways, to pick up and get a living as well as shecould, without any mistrust of her doing ill by eating what she could find; but soit was, that in being thus sharp set to get a living she was obliged to eat nettles,and by custom she came to love and eat them so greedily, that at last she hoved andswell'd with them, as if she had eaten clover-grass. This being perceived by themaid-servant (for no body was at home but her) she in all haste drove the cow towardsthe farrier's shop, which was about half a mile off, and in driving her she droptdown by the way, and became such a sight as brought the neighbours about her; someof whom advised the maid to send in all haste for some gin and pepper. And by givingher a penny-worth of pepper in half a pint of gin, the cow immediately dischargedabundance of wind (which was the cause of the malady) and perfectly recover'd onthe eleventh day of June, when the nettles were in their greatest ranknessof sap; but for an antidote against such destructive accidents, our country housewifeshould endeavour to have the following remedy given to each cow at its first turninginto clover, rapes, turneps, or into any other dangerous feeding.

  Of Antidotes for preventing the hoving or swellingof Cows while they Feed on Clover, Rapes, Turneps, &c.--Clover, rapes, andturnep-tops, are accounted the three worst sorts of vegetables for causing cows tohove, swell, and die: Therefore it is of great importance to endeavour a securityagainst their fatal effects, and how to do it deserves the notice of all such whosebeasts are liable to these accidents. In some vales indeed, where they sow no clover,rapes, or turneps, they are in no danger of this fatal malady: But in chiltern countrieswhere they are, none ought to be without the knowledge of the following ingredients:When a cow first goes into clover, rapes, or turneps, &c. let one manhold her by the horn, while another takes hold of her tongue, and thrust down herthroat an egg-shell full of tar, then let her go.--Or you may cut off the head, tail,and fins of a red-herring, and dip it in tar for giving it as before.--Or you maygive the cow a belly full of good hay just before she goes into clover, and if sheis kept in every night on hay, and turned out every morning, it will be a greatersecurity.--A tar and hay preparation is what I generally every year observe to makeuse of, when I put my cows to feed on any of these hoving vegetables, lest I sufferas an old farmer did, who being necessitated to turn his cow to grass, put them intoa field of clover on the 31st of March, 1740, and lost the best of them, forshe quickly swelled, hoved, and died after being turned into it; and yet this oldfarmer is justly accounted an acute one as any is in our parts for his managementin the old way of farming, but as to any new way he is averse to it, because he can'tgive credit to what his forefathers never knew nor practised: But this he might haveknown, that clover, though short at its first bite, is full of sap (as this was)and therefore very windy, and the more apt to swell a beast, as I have found by manytrials.

  How a Cow's Life was saved that was hoved in Clover,when internal Remedies failed, shewn by a Case of my Neighbour's Cow.--A Cowthat was hoved and swelled in feeding on clover-grass fell down and must have died,had not an accidental stander-by stabbed her with his pointed pocket-knife; for hehad learned that such a method was the lest thing that could be done to a hove cowpast any other remedy, and that it was safe stabbing her in the paunch clear of herkidneys, as it proved by this fact; for as soon as he had stabbed her, out came dungand wind in a very violent manner. Upon which they directly tarred the wound, andcover'd it with a plaister of common pitch, to the entire curing of her.

  The best Remedy perhaps that ever was found outfor curing Cows of the Murrain; or a famous Cure made on a Butcher's Cow, that wasseized with the Murrain Distemper at Little-Gaddesden.--On the 28th of November1746, Mr. Edward Thorne, a butcher at Little-Gaddesden, bought twofat cows to kill (for about this time they were very cheap, because many beasts weresold in apprehension that the fatal malady would seize and kill them, which at thistime raged in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and in some other adjacentcounties) but finding them in calf, he resolved to keep them for milch cows, andthey went on very well till the 5th of December following, when one of themfell amiss, seized with the murrain or plague, which made her grate her teeth, runat the eyes, hang down her head, scour, and would not eat: Upon this the butcherfirst blooded her, then clapt four rowels in her, one in each buttock, the otherson each side her neck, made with horse-hair and tow twisted together, with horseturpentine. Then he made a drink with half a pint of gin, a pint of ale, about anegg-shell full of fine wood soot, one ounce of the flower of mustard-seed, and twoeggs mash'd with their shells. This drink he gave her out of a horn, and at everytwo hours end some thin malt mash out of a horn, with a very thin malt mash standingbefore her, that she might drink of the liquor of it, for he gave her no water, andit answered the intent; for in about eight and forty hours time, this drink and onemore knit her, by altering her scouring, and caused her to dung thickish, and intwo days time more she kick'd up her heels and was perfectly well: And what was verysurprising, the other cow that was kept in the same yard all the while was not infected,for the butcher was afraid to take the well one away, lest he should give offenceto his neighbours by endangering their cows.--To account for this success, the butcheris of opinion, that the mustard and the other hot ingredients threw out the distemper,by sweating the beast, and told me he came by this receit accidentally as he boughtcattle of a Leicestershire grazier, who declared to him, that this same medicinehad saved of one man's cow's twenty out of two and twenty that were seized with themurrain distemper. The parts where the rowels are fixt will swell much, but on theirrunning the swelling will sink and draw the fever out of the cow's head.--And itis my humble opinion, that there was never a better remedy ever found out than this,for the cure of the murrain, because here are several operations performed on thecow's body at once, both inwardly and outwardly, which gives her two chances forher life; if the rowels run, we say there is no great danger of the cow's doing otherwisethan well.

  How to prevent the Murrain Distemper spreading amongstCows.--The following has been used with great success in several places wherethe distemper among the horned cattle has raged very violently, and comes recommendedby a very able physician.--Take tar and flower of brimstone, of each half a pound,oil of turpentine four ounces, assafœtida two drams: Mix these well together, andwith a painter's brush do the nose and muzzle of the cow night and morning.