Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-07-08
COWS.
The Use OF the Brush Upon Them Strongly


The Use OF the Brush Upon Them Strongly
Recommended.
Few persons consider the skin as an
excretory organ. 1t is supposed to be
by those who think at all-merely a
protecting covering for the muscles
and animal frame, and something for
the outer protective coat of hair, or fur,
or wool, or feathers, to grow upon.
But the skin is really the most impor-
tant outlet for the waste matter of the
whole body of an animal. 1t is by no
means tight covering, but contains
myriads OF pores or openings, through
which watery vapor escapes, and with
which also escapes large quantity OF
impure matter from the blood. At
times the skin discharges a large guam
tity OF liquid matter, which we call
perspration, and it is always discharg-
ing moisture, which escapes insensibly.
At least, the skin does this when in
healthful condition, and when this ex-
erection stops, it is an indication that
something is wrong. Besides this, the
skin is constantly changing its sub
stance; the outer portions scale off, Or
exfolate, while it is renewed from
within; so that in course of short
time the whole skin wears away and is
renewed. Where the skin is cosered
with hair these scales are apt to gather
and with the perspiration to become
compacted into a mass, stopping the
pores and preventing the escape
of the waste matter, which being
retained in the blood, does much
harm. For these reasons, constant at
tention should be given TO the skin;
brushing it, both to remove the ex-
foliated matter and the dried perspira-
ton, and to excite it to healthful &C
ton, should not be neglected. Horses,
as a rule, are fairly well attended to,
because it is a custom to curry and
brush them regularly. But in many
cases, they are not sufficiently cleaned;
consequently their health is impaired.
The skin becomes clogged, and the
perspiration is retained in the blood,
producing more or less blood-poison-
ing, which may result in variety of
disorders, at times producing farcy,
which ends in CHAMBERS. At best, the
coat becomes harsh, dry, and staring;
the skin is tight, or, as it is called,
'hide-bound," and becomes irritated,
producing itching, with perhaps the
loss of hair. Eruptions on the skin,
and pimples, and perhaps the we'll
known scratches" result from the re-
tention of these impure matters. To
avoid all these troubles, the horse
should be thoroughly brushed with
stiff, clean brush, for at least ten
minutes, morning and night; and in
the summer, when perspiration is pro-
fuse, the skin should be sponged. or
washed down with a wisp of wet
straw, and then rubbed dry, before it
is brushed.
But few farmers ever think it neces-
sarv that a cow should be curried.
"What! curry coy? Never hearn tell
of such a thing!' But COW needs it
even more than horse; and for several
reasons, A cow, whose milk is used
for food, unless she has a perfectly
clean skin, can not give clean milk, and
then the butter will be bad. The skin
should be in perfectly healthful con-
dition, and the blood pure, or the milk
will be impure and unhealthful, and
the butter or cheese will be tainted.
Neither cleanliness nor healthfulness
can be secured without regular brush
ing of the skin and the removal of all
the filth which will gather upon ill-kept
cows. This should be done before the
COWS are MIXED. morning and even
ing. The morning cleaning should be
a thorough one; simple brushing to
remove dust and loose hairs, will be
sufficient for the evening. 1t will help
very much for both horses sAd COWS to
have the stables so floored that the ami
mails can be kept from fouling them
selves. american AgriculturiSt.