THE MILKING PERIOD.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 10 July 1914, Page 7

THE MILKING PERIOD.

The short way with the pooi milker is to weed them out. A cow in poor condition maj' be allowed two months in which to recruit her strength. In the case of the average cow, the milking can foe continued until within a month oi j calving-. If a cow is in low condition,' it is better to resort to higher feeding than to dry oft. Cows are known that have beer, treated thus for many years, sometimes being milked to within a month of calving, that have carried as good an ,appearance and produced equally good calves as those which run dry nearly three times as long. Six weeks may be considered the average period during which a cow should be dry unless the circumstances are exceptional. It is, however, the extraordinary milker that occasions the greatest difficulty. There are some deep milkers that are the despair of their owners, who would often enough foe willing to accord them a reasonable period of rest if there was a possibility of drying them off without having to take considerable trouble and running a great risk. For these there seems nothing but "milking round," as it is called, and some of the most experienced daily farmers admit, however much they would prefer a moderate rest, that, as far as immediate consequence:-: are concerned, the animals do not appear any the worse, nor is the yield after calving materially affected. This point is perhaps dillicult to determine, because it is not possible to say, although the cow milks splendidly, of what she would have been capable had itbeen possible to accord her a month's rest. This much, however, seems certain—the risk of causing garget, or inflammation of the udder, and the possible loss of one or more quarters, is too grave to ~\>c i lightly incurred, and in such cases the practice of "milking round" is quite justifiable. In the case of heifers they should never be permitted to go dry early, or the habit of ceasing the supply early may be perpetuated. This class of animal should be kept in. milk even when the yield falls below a profitable quantity, for it is by persistently asking for more that the1 qualities of prolonged lactation have been developed in the cow.

"I'd like to open a singing school," said the young lady with the squeeky voice, as she stepped from the train at Brecon. "Do you think there is a large field in. this community ?" "Yessum," drawled the rude former on the platform, "th.it be a field forty acres wide back o' the brick-kilns, an' nothiir you could disturb but rabbits and worms." HOW DTD SHE KNOW ? Mrs. Blinkers : "What ! Going away ? Why ?" Servant : "Please, mum, when I cum yesterday you gave me the keys to your trunks and drawers and chests and jewel-boxes to keep for you." Mrs. B. : "Yes, I did that to show that I trusted you. What is the matter ?"- Servant : "Thur don't one of 'em fit." . 1401.