HOW TO MILK.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2694, 25 November 1882, Page 3

HOW TO MILK.

The following article is from the pen of Mr X. A. Willard in the pages of the

" Rural New Yorker" : —lt is not every dairyman that knows how to milk—some cannot and others will not learn. Vast numbers of good cows are ruined every year by carelessness, by neglect, and brutality of milkers. The manner of milking and the circumstances connected therewith are not often fully understood, or if fully understood, not fully appreciated by dairymen. I heard two farmers recently comparing the yield of milk from their respective herds for the past season. The receipts of one were about a third more than those of the other, and the latter said: "I cannot understand this —my feed, my water supply and my cows are as good v as yours." The reply was—" Yes, but when my milkers go to the milk barn to milk, they understand that it means business. I tell them that the milk barn is no place to tell long stories and spark the hired girls. Ijwon't have a poor milker around at any price, and if I catch a man striking or maltreating a cow, * off goes his head.' I talk this thing over with him, and ho understands that the first time he abuses my cows his time is out." It was evident that these few words struck deep ; the subject now had a money value which carried conviction and was more impressive than mere words.

The first point to be observed by milkers is extreme kindness to dairy stock —no loud talking or rough treatment of any kind should be allowed while milking. The animal should become well acquainted with the milker; should be made to feel a perfect trust and confidence in this person's good good intention, so as to be kept as quiet and free from excitement as possible. This is best effected by petting the cow, handling her gently, and speaking in low, kind, cheery tones. Cows that are frightened, that are kicked and beaten for every misstep they make while being milked, not only fall off greatly in their yield of milk, but their milk is rendered unwholesome, and often so much so as to cause disease and death to persons partaking of it. The changes which milk undergoes under such circumstances have not been fully explained, though as a physiological fact the unwholesomeness of such milk has long been observed and made record of, by the medical profession. It should be borne in mind, therefore, that anything which frets, disturbs, torments or renders the cow uneasy lessens the quantity and vitiates the quality of her milk. The quantity of milk that a cow gives depends much upon the mode, time, and regularity of milking. Cows do best that have one regular milker, and the time of milking should be carefully attended to, and not be subject to certain variations from day to day. The bag should be brushed of any loose hairs, and in case of dirt on the udder it should be cleansed by washing with a cloth and fresh water. For if the cow has been driven through any muddy places and thus become besmeared, any dirt accidentally falling in the pail will communicate its taste to the milk. The practice of wet+ing the hands and teats with milk before milking is a very vicious practice. This should always be avoided, both for the comfort of the animal and cleanliness of the milk. The milker should have short finger nails, for long nails will be sure to hurt the teats and cause irritation to the cosv. There are two methods of milking—the one may be called stripping, or catching the teat between the finger and thumb and stripjung down the whole length of the teat. This plan is nat recommended. The better way is to grasp the teats, one in each hand diagonally across the bag and press out the milk—the second, third, and fourth fingers doing the main work, while the upper portion of the hand and first finger prevent the milk returning to the udder; the milk should be drawn rapidly, and the udder completely emptied of its contents. In the flush of the season, or when the cows are yielding the most most milk, from eleven to twelve cows per hour will be about the rate for a competent hand. A slow, dilatory milker makes a great loss in the yield of milk, and if possible ought never be allowed to milk, except when the cows are going dry at the end of the season. As the last drawn milk is the richest in butter, great care should be taken that all the milk in the udder be drawn, and this is important, not only on account of the value of such milk, but because the habit of leaving a part of the milk undrawn has a tendency to dry up the cow, and weaken her capacity for yielding a'f all flow of milk another season.

To be a good milker is an accomplishment which somo persons can never attain. It requires a muscular hand, honesty or conscientious integrity in the discharge of the duties, good nature, or complete control of temper, at least while milking, and a scrupulous regard for cleanliness. Unless perfectly trusty hands can be employed in milking, the dairyman should five personal attention to the milking, and if he does not milk himself, he should see to it that those in employ perform the work properly in every particular; for it is upon the manner in which this work is performed that his profits from the dairy will bo in a great measure regulated. One blow on the spine with a milking stool in the hands of a passionate, ill-tempered man, or a kick on the udder, may ruin a cow for ever.