Their manner of keeping, both wintering and sommering, is in the Poets rules the same that the Sheepe hath, onely theyr foulding and feed excepted: for the foulding they are not needfull, and for their feede, Woods are the best, or the toppes of Mountaines: bushie and thorny grounds vnprofitable for any other vse, for the feede of Goates is most excellent. They will obserue custome much better than Sheepe, for beeing but once or twice vsed there-vnto, they will duely euery morning and euening come home, to pay theyr due debt or tribute to the milke-paile. Theyr milk is excellent, and a great restoratiue, principally for a consumption, of what nature soeuer. The fourth howre after the Sun rise, is the best time for Goates to drinke in. For the weaning of young Kidds from their Dams, vse the meanes that you doo with Ewes and Lambes.
Of all Goates that are, _Virgil_ most commends the _Cinyphian_ Goates, bred by the Towne _Cinyps_, as Cattell of wondrous great co_m_moditie: their disprofit is onely amongst young springs or plants, for they wil crop any young thing that groweth, and hinder the springing thereof, also they wil pill away the barke of Trees, to the spoyle of the trees: yet no more then fallow Deare, or redde Deare will, wherfore where the one is suffered, the other may be tollerated. Cf. Virg. Georg. iii. 306-317.
9. After _wel_ I. R. inserts--let thy Cowe be beetle-browed, and sterne of looke, her head and necke big, and from her throate hanging downe to her shanks a large and long dew-lappe; let her sides be proportionlesse and great, and euery part of her, euen her very foote, so bigge as bigge may be. Let her eares be large and hairie, and her taile long, euen to the grounde, and bushie: if she be spotted with white, or shrewd or wicked with her horne, it is an error, but no fault, for it shewes mettle and goodnes; in generall, the more bull-like a Cow is, the better she is. Let thy Cowe be foure yeeres old ere she take the Bull, and at tenne yeeres sell her off, for then is her best caluing-time past. And thus much for thy Kine whose profit must goe to thy paile.
17. I. R. adds--because he is hyde-bound, which is a foule infirmitie.
4. _hucbone_] huckle-bone. _nache_] natch.