RUGGING AND GROOMING COWS.

Upper Hutt Weekly Review, Volume III, Issue 30, 15 July 1938, Page 4

RUGGING AND GROOMING COWS.

In this country, where, happily, it is not necessary to house dairy cattle in the winter, it is very good practice to provide the cows with rugs, so that they may maintain their body warmth without drawing unduly on the feed which they are given. In very cold weather, where there are heavy frosts at night, and when cold southerly winds blow in the day time, the cow must draw more heavily on her feed to maintain her warmth and body weight. Therefore, anything that can be done to keep her warm, should be done. The provision of rugs is good practice. It is the custom in many dairies to wash cow udders in warm water, and to dry them, before milking takes place. This is good practice. It is a cleanly practice. It removes dust, manure particles, etc., -which would otherwise drop to the milking bucket, and it stimulates the actions of the blood vessels of the udder. Udders which are washed in warm water, and dried with a clean towel, before milking, are twice as easy to milk in -winter time, and rarely, if ever, get sore teats. It is a proved fact that cows can be carried all through the winter without even a crack in the teats, by giving the udders this treatment, and by giving- them, in addition, once or so a week, a little bit of vaseline on the teat. This vaseline is put on after milking is finished, and is removed in the warm wash, before the next milking. Grooming the cows occasionally, -with a stiff brush, is good practice. It has the same effect on a cow that a bath has on a man. It cleans the skin of dust, and the little scales that form, improves the cow's general health, and so improves her appetite. The cow with her appetite at the highest point is the cow which will pick up the most feed, and produce the greatest quantity of milk, provided she have the inherited capacity to milk. Shelter Should be Provided. In addition to rugging, it is good practice to provide shelter for dairy cows on farms which are exposed to severe winds. Shelters may be provided by the growing of trees along the boundary from which cold winds come, or by the building of sheds into -which the cows may go in rough weather, and on very cold nights. In the greater part of New Zealand all the shelter required is timber. It is excellent practice to leave, or to grow, belts of timber, in various parts of the farm, to provide protection against cold winds, and against the heat of the sun in the mid-day, in summer. Unhappily, on far too many farms the beautiful native timbers have been cut down, ruthlessly and thoughtlessly, when the farms were in the making-. A little foresight -would have meant the provision of proper belts of timber for shade and wind protection. Many men realising the need for these belts of, timber, are now planting them, and many are doing it very successfully. Two or three belts of timber, on each farm, would, in a few years, not only provide shelter, but, as the trees progress, would provide firewood. Later it would be possible to thin the trees out, and sell timber off the place which would pay, over and over again, for the cost of planting and the care given over the period of years. Rugging costs money, though correctly treated sacks can be ef-

fieient and serviceable. Grooming takes time and energy; but both pay handsome dividends in the shape of healthier cattle and increased production.

Two men joined the police force. They were so keen that they summoned dozens of people on minor charg-es, and most of the defendants had to pay fines. The two young- constables were on the eve of promotion when the inspector was surprised to receive their resignations. "Why do you wish to leave the force?" he asked. "Are you discontented in any way?" "It's not that," replied one of them. "Myself and Dan intend starting a station of our own. He'll run in the beg-grars and I'll fine them."