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THE Benefits of making use of a brass Skimming-dish.--In my way home from Sussex , on the 15th day of June, 1749, I rode along with a grazier, that lives near Towcester in Northamptonshire, who informed me he had lost sixty horned beasts by the reigning murrain distemper; nine of which number died this last spring. He says, he received eighty pounds from the King 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 pound in winter, and six-pence in summer. He says, there is sold at some shops a brass skimmer 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, and retains the cream. But he says it must be done exceeding quick, by putting the cream into a porringer or pan, which is to be held by the other hand, lest the cream pass also through the holes. This, says he, is an improvement; for by discharging the milk from the cream, the butter will keep sweet the longer, be better tasted and firmer, milk being weaker than cream. Thus the purest cream may be gathered for making the very best of butter, far exceeding the old common way of blowing off the cream in the skimming-dish with the mouth, which does it less cleanly, and less free of the milk. But, say some, the more milk the more butter; true, but then that butter is so much the worse, as there is milk mixt with the cream. This also proves the setting 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 the clouted cream is easily taken neat and intirely off the milk, without a mixture of it, 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.--This great dairyman says, That to make the first and best butter, his wife skims every 12 hours in summer, and forbears to do the same but a little longer in winter, and thus 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. Now this second or back butter is worth but very little more than half the value of the first 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 that for informing this butter-seller, he tells me, that leaves, or some other mark is laid to this second butter, for preventing a mistake, lest unwarily she sells the worst 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 not in common practice.

  Whey Butter.--He tells me they can skim their whey but once at 12 hours end. This whey-cream, he says, makes worse butter than the 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 contribute to 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 butter as to hold good in summer time to London, after it has been drawn in a waggon about fifty miles.

  How in the Management of a Vale Great Dairy they get their Fewel, and keep their Cows from having the red Water, or pissing of Blood.--In Buckingham, Bedford, and Northampton shires there are many great cheese 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 such a grasing farm they perhaps keep forty, fifty, or sixty cows, and always milk them abroad summer and winter, and if snows fall deep, they fodder, and sit on a stool in the snow to milk. And when a calf falls, it is housed, and the cow kept in a night or two, but they quickly sell off the calf for employing the milk to make butter or 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) scrubbed black-thorn or gorze, for two reasons, one is for fewel against winter, the other is to prevent their cows cropping the young shoots of these vegetables; for if they are 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-dung soft or hard, and continue doing this at times all the summer, for getting good store of it against a long winter, and for relieving the ground from a cover of it; for if cow-dung is let alone, it will grow hard, and kill the grass underneath it; for this dung, though very soft at first, will harden to that degree, as not to be washed away 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 to dress their grasing grounds, and therefore the poor people sell them to the grasing farmers for a crown a cart-load.--If your cow should piss bloody water; you may give the following medicine:

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

  The good and bad Properties of Cows.--A book entitled The Country Housewife, without an account in it of the advantages that 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 of a cow; or if I was, that I knew not how to write of her qualities, which is perfectly necessary in the work I have here undertaken; for cows are certainly the most useful beasts belonging to a country-house, because at gentlemen's country-houses and at farms, their produce of milk, cream, butter, cheese, and the management of them, generally belongs to and comes under the woman's province; wherefore their qualities ought to be enumerated. Yet so necessary as this is, many of them have slipt the notice of most authors; therefore as I am an owner of cows, and find them pay me well, by their enabling me to make butter or cheese, or for suckling calves for the butcher, 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 gives 4 gallons of milk in one day, in her prosperity; though I have heard of a cow, thought to be worth ten pounds, that gave five gallons a day, in the months of May or June, on a full bite of grass, and continued giving milk till near her calving (but I say, it is a good cow that gives three gallons a day) while some others go 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 merits this character, there are twenty that do not. I have one cow, and she is of the Holderness breed, that would give milk almost to her calving; but this no prudent farmer will suffer, because it would surely damage himself and her; for it is well known to us cow-keepers, that although it is a common braggadocio saying with some sellers of cows, that she'll give milk till she calves, yet I am sure, if this is allowed, it will not only reduce the cow's flesh and make her lean, but cause her to bring a very 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 milked within a week or fortnight of her time, and he took their advice; the cons[e]quence of which was, it sunk the cow's flesh, caused her to bring a very small calf, and made her give a very little parcel of milk for some time after: Whereas had the same cow been dried a month or better before her calving, she might very probably have kept herself in good flesh, brought forth a large calf almost half fat, and have given a large quantity of milk besides. This is now so well known among judicious experienced dairy farmers, that there are few or none but what observe to dry their cows a month, before calving, if they don't dry of themselves; as many do, for there are 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. And it is this sort therefore that bring the larger and fattest calves, and give the greatest 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 should be forced; a case contrary to the notion of a late famous author, who, in his General Treatise on Husbandry, has these words--"Nor can I find any reason, why the black cattle, which are thus constantly in milk should not bring a well-grown calf; for seeing how moderately they dispense their milk at each meal, we may reasonable infer, 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, either to the cow, or the calf she is pregnant with. For in such a case, the calf will naturally draw to itself from the mother what juices are necessary for its support, and if it required more than the cow could conveniently furnish, the cow must then necessarily languish, and as surely lose her milk, so that while we find milk in a cow, we cannot reasonably suppose, that either the cow or calf want nourishment." Thus far this 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 refusal of those cows that are furnish'd with parts of a different make and shape.

  How to milk an unlucky Cow and prevent her Mischief.--As insignificant an article as this at first may seem to appear, I am sure there are thousands that stand in need of its information. In Cheshire and many other places the milk-maid wears a black hat, partly because she is obliged to push and hold her head hard against the cow's flank, to discourage her from kicking the pail of milk down, for such pressure somewhat diverts the motion, because as the maid pushes her head hard against the cow, the cow naturally leans her body hard against the maid's head, by which she can feel the cow's intent to strike, and so take away her pail in time; yet I call this only discouraging, for it will not always prevent it, 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 to prevent the damage of their kicking, they must be milked through a hurdle. Of this sort 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 very apt to kick, break through hedges, and leap over gates and stiles. And when they are so very mischievous, as some of them are with both head and heels, they are better parted from than kept; if kept, the milk that is got from them must be by only milking a single teat or dug at a time into a pint wooden or earthen dish or bowl, and that in such danger, as makes it perhaps not worth while to keep her. But this is not all the mischief that belongs to an unlucky cow, for many of these kickers are very apt 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 should have wooden tips fastened to the end of their horns, to prevent the great danger that weak and underline cows are liable to suffer by those we call master cows; for woeful experience has given us many deplorable cases of mischief done by cows horns to men, women, children, and beasts. Therefore I have always every one of my cows horns thus served, whether they be of the unlucky or the gentle sort; for although a cow may be gentle at other times, yet when she has a calf by her, there is danger in feeding, milking, and suckling her. The next thing I have to advance is, that if the maid milk cross-teated, that is to say, if she milks a backward dug of the further side with the forward dug of the hither side, it is thought the cow is not so prone to kick, as if milked by the next two side dugs, but that she'll give her milk down the freer for it. And indeed, this cross-milking is both easier for the cow and the milker. Again, it is the necessitous case of many farmers to feed their cows at a considerable distance from the house, in summer-time especially, which travel brings a beast under great heat and pain, with their full bags of milk; therefore cross-teat-milking is here a beneficial service, because it discharges the milk from both sides the bag in equal quantities, and thereby cools, eases, and refreshes the cow 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, the milker begins again to milk, or what we call drip that cow which was first begun with, and so on, dripping every one of the rest. One intent of which is to prevent milk being left in the bag; for some of the idle sort of milkers are frequently guilty of this, and then it greatly damages the beast, and prejudices its owner, by lessening the 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 of her milk the first time, may give it all down at the second milking. A third intention is, that by this dripping of cows, there will be got what we call stroakings, which being little inferior to cream may be added to it and increase its quantity. But for performing this with judgment, it is hardly worth while to do it, where there are but few cows kept, and where there are many there should be more hands than ordinary to 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 next meal. Again I have to observe, that a slow milker damages a cow, by lessening her milk; when one that milks briskly, and is used to milk her, preserves her milk in good order. And for her longer continuance in plenty of milk, that cow that calves in April or May stands the best chance for it, because the first spring of grass meets her; and although some of the small Welsh cows will live on a shorter bite of grass, and are hardier than the larger sort, yet their carcases are of the less value to fatten. Therefore where there is meat enough for a large beast, I am of opinion, they'll pay more than a smaller one, because when they go guest and have done milking, and are fatted for the butcher, their price will be large accordingly, as I have proved, by fattening my own cows abroad and at home.

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

  How to hinder a Cow from holding up her Milk.--For this there have been several devices made use of: As first to twist a rope hard about the 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 the cow is to be suckled, milk her first, and let the calf draw away the rest, for a cow will (or is forced to) give it a calf, when she will not to a milker.--Or to make her less regard holding up her milk, let her have hay or other meat before her while she is milking.

  The Life of a Cow saved by the Care of a Servant-Maid.--It was the maid-servant of a very small farmer, who kept but one cow in all (but of so 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 the farmer had but little ground, and that under crops of grain, he was necessitated to turn this his cow into the high-ways, to pick up and get a living as well as she could, without any mistrust of her doing ill by eating what she could find; but so it 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 and swell'd with them, as if she had eaten clover-grass. This being perceived by the maid-servant (for no body was at home but her) she in all haste drove the cow towards the farrier's shop, which was about half a mile off, and in driving her she dropt down by the way, and became such a sight as brought the neighbours about her; some of whom advised the maid to send in all haste for some gin and pepper. And by giving her a penny-worth of pepper in half a pint of gin, the cow immediately discharged abundance of wind (which was the cause of the malady) and perfectly recover'd on the eleventh day of June, when the nettles were in their greatest rankness of sap; but for an antidote against such destructive accidents, our country housewife should endeavour to have the following remedy given to each cow at its first turning into clover, rapes, turneps, or into any other dangerous feeding.

  Of Antidotes for preventing the hoving or swelling of Cows while they Feed on Clover, Rapes, Turneps, &c.--Clover, rapes, and turnep-tops, are accounted the three worst sorts of vegetables for causing cows to hove, swell, and die: Therefore it is of great importance to endeavour a security against their fatal effects, and how to do it deserves the notice of all such whose beasts 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 countries where 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 man hold her by the horn, while another takes hold of her tongue, and thrust down her throat 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 may give the cow a belly full of good hay just before she goes into clover, and if she is kept in every night on hay, and turned out every morning, it will be a greater security.--A tar and hay preparation is what I generally every year observe to make use of, when I put my cows to feed on any of these hoving vegetables, lest I suffer as an old farmer did, who being necessitated to turn his cow to grass, put them into a field of clover on the 31st of March, 1740, and lost the best of them, for she quickly swelled, hoved, and died after being turned into it; and yet this old farmer is justly accounted an acute one as any is in our parts for his management in the old way of farming, but as to any new way he is averse to it, because he can't give credit to what his forefathers never knew nor practised: But this he might have known, 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 many trials.

  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 Cow that 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 he had learned that such a method was the lest thing that could be done to a hove cow past any other remedy, and that it was safe stabbing her in the paunch clear of her kidneys, as it proved by this fact; for as soon as he had stabbed her, out came dung and wind in a very violent manner. Upon which they directly tarred the wound, and cover'd it with a plaister of common pitch, to the entire curing of her.

  The best Remedy perhaps that ever was found out for curing Cows of the Murrain; or a famous Cure made on a Butcher's Cow, that was seized with the Murrain Distemper at Little-Gaddesden.--On the 28th of November 1746, Mr. Edward Thorne, a butcher at Little-Gaddesden, bought two fat cows to kill (for about this time they were very cheap, because many beasts were sold in apprehension that the fatal malady would seize and kill them, which at this time raged in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and in some other adjacent counties) but finding them in calf, he resolved to keep them for milch cows, and they went on very well till the 5th of December following, when one of them fell amiss, seized with the murrain or plague, which made her grate her teeth, run at the eyes, hang down her head, scour, and would not eat: Upon this the butcher first blooded her, then clapt four rowels in her, one in each buttock, the others on each side her neck, made with horse-hair and tow twisted together, with horse turpentine. Then he made a drink with half a pint of gin, a pint of ale, about an egg-shell full of fine wood soot, one ounce of the flower of mustard-seed, and two eggs mash'd with their shells. This drink he gave her out of a horn, and at every two hours end some thin malt mash out of a horn, with a very thin malt mash standing before her, that she might drink of the liquor of it, for he gave her no water, and it answered the intent; for in about eight and forty hours time, this drink and one more knit her, by altering her scouring, and caused her to dung thickish, and in two days time more she kick'd up her heels and was perfectly well: And what was very surprising, 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 offence to his neighbours by endangering their cows.--To account for this success, the butcher is 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 bought cattle of a Leicestershire grazier, who declared to him, that this same medicine had saved of one man's cow's twenty out of two and twenty that were seized with the murrain distemper. The parts where the rowels are fixt will swell much, but on their running the swelling will sink and draw the fever out of the cow's head.--And it is 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 the cow's body at once, both inwardly and outwardly, which gives her two chances for her life; if the rowels run, we say there is no great danger of the cow's doing otherwise than well.

  How to prevent the Murrain Distemper spreading amongst Cows.--The following has been used with great success in several places where the distemper among the horned cattle has raged very violently, and comes recommended by 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, and with a painter's brush do the nose and muzzle of the cow night and morning.