On the first of May when the weather is very warm people leave out the milk, and in the early hours of May morning people come and skim the milk and then the luck of the cows is taken. A hornless cow is called a polly. People often put irons into their neighbour's spring-well to take the butter off the milk. People used also go at the early hours of may morning to the field where the cows would be, and milk them and the butter off the milk would also be taken.
In olden times maol cows were very common in Ireland. They were noted for their rich milk, and the large quantity they yielded daily. They were mostly of a dun colour not as well shaped or as big as the cows of the present day. Cows were secured in byres in those days by means of bales which consisted of a large beam of timber at a height of about four feet from the ground. A similar beam was fixed on the ground and at intervals of about 3 1/2 feet.