The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-10
SIS COW.
Her Mother Love Persists After
the Period of HelpIessness
in the Calf.

have instinct OF neighborMness and
comradeship almost human. Further
mother-love among them persists long af-
ter the period of helplessness. COW
knows her calves, ticks them and cos
to them when they are full-grown. with
calves OF their own. She lows l1mentati1n
If they are sent to a separate pasture.
and recognizes them after six month. or
even year of separation. This. of coure.
on the commons where normal instincts
persist, and even strengthen. Stall-feed-
ing does not develop heart CT mind. in
cattle any more than in human beings.
Once at least this continuing mother
love prevented bad blood betwixt neigh
bors with a possible suit In law Two
cows upon adjoining farms dropp d. with
in the same week. calves so nearly alike
1t would have puzzled that traditionally
wise person, a Philadelphia lawyer. to
know one from the other. They were
helfer calves, dun, with a white spot In
the forehead. and the barest tip Of white
IN the tails. Dun was rare color upon
the range round about, so both the
youngsters were looked upon with interest.
They sucked morning and night through
the summer, were weaned In the fall, and
turned out next spring to find their own
living in the natural blue grass m!a1ows
along the creeks. Food was abuud-
ant, the creeks had also many wind
ings, with here and 4 there In Sc
cluded spaces remnant fringes of cane.
The dun heifers thTove so finely, and fell
20 in love with freedom, they did not come
home in the fall as did other well-conduct-
ed cattle. Just what they did do indeed
was never known. The spring they were
two years old one owner went looking for
L. A. a.
young COW with a pretty risky calf, at
foot grazing happily, ten miles away.
Neither yearllng had been marked be-
fore turning out-that Is to say its ears
had not been cropped. nor slit nor swal-
lowforked, nor under-a nd-over- bitted to
show particular ownership. So the finder
was quite justified in assuming that he
had found his own, and taking il home re-
joicing There his neighbor at.once claim
ed it, saying he knew it by a peculiar
indentation In the white star. As the
other dun was still missing, there was
room for a very pretty quarrel, until 1t
was agreed to let the old cows decide II.
The three were turned together in a past
ture. AT first both the old cows looked
askance at the young one, and after
little made a rush at her II TO bear her
TO her knees. But as they got within
three yards of the youngster, who stood
tossing her horns defiantly, the claimants
COW nan wheeled, DutIeQ the Otner m tnc
flank sent her Keeling, shifted gently at
the stray then began to lick her on the
neck and brisket, just as she licked her
own new calf. The demonstration was con-
cluslve-the men shook hands on It. and
the stray dun went home with her
mother.
Whether from instinct or calculation.
cattle have curiously accurate sense of
time. II they are sailed every other
morning at a certain spot they will be
prompt almost to the minute, though they
may not come near the place between
times Dairy maids whose mixers run
out, give them "a lick OF salt or meal,
they say ito h'ant EN- home" Hence
no doubt comes the cant rural proverb
expressing mulish obsinacy: Il wouldn't
do it for a lick of salt"
Buck and Brandy were brindled oxen,
yoke Of renown throughout the country
side. They had horns a yard from tip
to tip, intelligent black-nosed white-star-
red faces, and beautiful bushy tails Bro
ken together at year old, they worked
and played and graZed side by side until
they were rising seven. Then Brandy fall
ing lame was turned out for a long rest,
his owner thinking 70 fatten and sell him
in the fall Buck Mt once quit work.
Yoked to cart or pillow, or ox-wagon, he
simply laid down. The goad could not
moved him. AS soon as he was free.
though he had never In his life tried to
jump a fence or throw one down, he
straightway made a breach somewhere
and went through it to his comrade. AS
a result his owner sold two Stalled oxen
in place OF one. In death, as in life,
the pair were not divided.
The prodigal calf gets a rough recep-
ion upon his homecoming. The herd
looks him over at long range. bellows de-
h0nce and scorn of him, then keeps on
with its own affairs. If the prodigal
langs modestly back, feeding upon the
outskirts r a day, or may be a week,
never obtIuding himself, and running
from each lowered head or brandished
horn. he may in the end be grudgingly
accepted. But If he comes boldly In,
crowdng for salt, snatching at forage,
answering bellows with a low disdainful
moo, he must conquer q peace, or 90 to
| the wall. At first the herd leader rushes
at him, butts him to his knees, and tries
10 roll him over. but does not gore him.
If the stray sands up stoutly, or gives
| the leader fair argument he may win
out right there. But IL he is badly worst
ed yet lacks the sense TO prcf1t by defeat,
ana keep IN place. next time there will
be a combined rush that will leave him
with whole bones 1t is true. but badly
SC a:ched coat and sore all over from the
pummelling horns.
Atavism perhaps EXPLAINS why cattle go
mad at the smell OF blood-especially the
hood OF their own species Even a fresh
hide trailed across their feeding ground
may make them DANCE Gus. With lowered
ads. tails stiffiy exatndtd. believing, not
oudly. but with deep, menacing growi-
ing note, they charge compactiy upon al
most any moving thing in sight, particu-
larly human being on foot 1t is a charge
net easily stayed, but readily evaded-lt
is hard for herd to check itself, and
harder still to turn square about. Cir
cling is however. another matter, so II
attacked II is the part OF wisdom to keep
directly in trent until the charge Is all
most upon you, then run out OF the way
al a right angle
Cattle are great path-makets. For the
most part they go straight almost as ths
crow flies, and always In Indian, file, one
right on the heels OF another. In every
pasture there is a ,leader, who chooses the
way. Commonly the leader Is the bell
cow, but II the bell-bearer grows old an
weak she may be disre garded - Atothtr
instinct, no doubt going back 10 the days
Of wolf and bear rarages, Is that which
makes them go to the same place 10
sleep. and choose that place en- the high
est available ground. A new herd nut
into a pasture will sleep IN the old place.