The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-08-26
Natural History---The Cow.
NUMBER ".
hi orNrr cow.


The COW is one of the most useful
animals that man has subjected to his
use. She gives large quantities Of
sweet milk, butter milk, cream, but.
ter and cheese. Without the products
of the COW, 10 table would be regard.
ed by a good housewife, as "set"-and
many a child would go supperless to
bed. 1t is difficult to state the guam
tity of milk that can be drawn from g
well regulated COW, per day, with GER
tainty. Much depends upon the COLI
dition of the COW, and much, upon the
size of the pail. The general rule may
be given however, that if the pail
holds Just the quantity of milk the
COW win give, then she will give one
pail full. If the pail holds one-half
the quantity she will give, then she
will give two pals full; ifone-fourth,
then four pals full, and so on, down
to the smallest fraction of a pail full.
By remembering this general rule, the
owner of a COW can always tell with
accuracy, just what he may rely npon.
The COW is an animal of a DUAL ia
ture-i. e. She is an animal of two
kinds. l. MAMMAL. 2. RUMINANTIA.
She is called "MAMMAL" because she
is mamma to all her own children and
step-mamma to a large number of the
children of other people. When this
last relation is carried into practical
operation, it is called "raising by
hand" for the reason that the milk is
drawn from the COW and poured into
a bottle by hand before being ready
for the ssep-calf. 1t will be remem
bered by readers of Dickens, that
"Pep," the hero of "Great Expecta-
TONS" was thus raised, with the aid
of Mrs. Joe Gargery. She (the cow,
not Mrs. Gargery) is called "RUMI-
NANTIA,n because she is not satisfied
with eating her food once, but swal-
lows it half way, when it stops in a
sort of haversack till she gets time to
go over it again, which last operation
is called chewing the cud." Whilst
chewing her cud she reflects upon the
events of her past life, and speculates
upon the future in short, she RUM
MATES from whence the name.
The cow is a female kline ofan OK.
She is not so good a draught animal
as the OK from the fact that most of
her strength is expended in manufac-
turing the articles of produce above
enumerated.
The COW is indispensable in the
dairy business. though it is somewhat
astonishing with what a small num-
Der of COWS an energetic milkman
will supply an unlimited number of
customers with milk, cream, butter
and cheese, during a seaso when his
well does not fail, or where his dairy
is located upon an unfailing stream,
such as Rocky Run. All dairymen,
and o hers owning COWS, should be
very careful never to kill a toad, as it
is O well known fact in Natural His
tory, that such a mishap, however &C
cidental, would cause all tie cows
owned by the unfortunate toad de-
Fstroyer to give bloody milk.
The COW is not, as a rule, a vicious
animal, but a COW, otherwise a model,
has been known TO give down a large
Epailfull of the richest milk, and then
step in it with a great deal of compla-
cency. We have on rare occasions
known COWS to be afflicted with a
sudden contraction of the muscles of
the right hind leg, during milking
time, which caused the leg to fly pro-
m~isciously upward and outward,
%sprawling the milkmaid upon the
ground in an exceedingly ludicrous
and embarrassing manner, after which
the COW would pretend that. she was
only Kidding herself of a troublesome
insect. We have heard of one in
stance in which a portion of hoop
skirt was found in q cows stomach,
that could only be accounted for on
the hypothesis that she had swallow
ed the milkmaid. Itis but just, how
ever, to add that the discovery was
made after the cows death. Had she
been living, and given the opportuni-
ty, she might have been able to ex-
plain the circumstance on some theo-
ry wholly consistent with her limo
cence. The cow has been known to
be the innocent cause ofpu ting whole
villages and neighborhoods upon
their ears, through her ignorance of
the Ohio Stock Laws, and her failure
to recognize Surveyors lines separat-
ing the lands of her owner from those
of his neighbors. We understand
that Capt. David Kumler has succeed
ed in the feat depressing several cows
averaging seven hundred and fifty
pounds into n "pound." The Cap
tain we understand is willing to trade
his interest in cows for a new wagon.
In some countries the COW has been
annoyed with opposition from the
goat family, the latter assuming to
compete with her in the milk trade,
but the result in most countries has
proved disastrous to the hackers OF
the goat, and in this country the COW
has enjoyed a monopoly of the bust
ness-the greater number of the goat
inhabitants having retired to the Odd
Fellow and Free Mason lodges,
where they are utilized as valuable
| obiunctS in tho DrOcpss of initiatino