Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-05-11
AGRICUL TU RAJ.
From the Iowa Farmer.
MILK.


The following are some practical re-
marks on the subject Of Milk, taken
from prize Essay, read before The Roy
al Agricultural Society, in England
.'ln concluding these observations on
milk, it must be remarked, That The
milk obtained from difleren, reeds
varies greatly with respect 10 the quanu.
" OF butter which i. contains, and still
more with respect 10 the milk drawn
from the COW at the commencement, and
near the conclusion of the milking, the
latter being provincialy termed "slrip-
pings" and gatherings Schu5er says
that The milk last drawn contains three
times as much cream as the first. Dr.
Anderson found the cream in the las, cup
of milk drawn from the udder, compa red
with tina, OF the frs, cup, in the proportion
of Is to i, il is consequently Of the
greatest importance thatihe COW should
be MIXED perfectly "dry a, each meal"
For another reason this ought 10 be
carefully attended to; when the larger
vessels are regularly emp,ied, milk is
being constantly secreted by the capl-
larry milk vessels, when, however, from
any cause the whole are allowed to be.
come gorged for heightened psriod, this
secretion ceases, and absorption OF the
thinner, or watery portion commences.
l. may eosily he conceived that this
absorption takes place more readily in
the smaller and more distant tubes, than
in the larger and more external vessels.
If this full state of Il vessels continue
any length of time, The secretion of milk
will cease or diminish, not unfrequently
attended by serious inflammation; ma.
ierially impairing, or altogether destroy
ing, the function of the milk gland.
In milking, The COW should be MIXED
''clean" at once; some are in the habit Of
doing this at twice or thrice. The COW
is sensitive and capricious creature,
easily offended; and il the dairy maid
rise from her before the milk is all with.
drawn, the chances are that she will not
stand quietly. with the fur,ter probability
that she will hold back her milk the
second time. When there is more than
one dairy maid, each should have par
,icularset of cows apporlioned TO her;
cows preferring to be MIXED by con.
slant acquaintance than by stranger
During the flush of grass, when the
cows are loaded with milk, i. may be
well always to 60 round a second time,
by which means frequently tea cup
full to half pin, of milk can be oh.
tanned.
Milking should be done fast, TO draw
of the milk as quickly as possible
From the period of drawing the first
milk from the heiler, to the time she is
intended "lo be kep,up" for the butcher.
gentleness and kindness should be ex-
ercised ,owaros her. No doubt some
cows are very capricious and troublesome
such ought to be sold, or sent 10 the
slaughter house as soon as possible; if
COW cannot be managed with kindness.
,humps and kicks will be found of no
avail. Some cows yield their milk with
a copious flow on the gen!lest handling,
others require great exer.ons. The nd.
der of the former will have soft skin,
with short teats; that of the latter will
possess thick skin, with long and tough
leats. Before leaving this par, Of The
subject it may be mentioned that in
some paris of Switzerland and France,
j. is not an unconmon practice to spay
mich cows whistin a full flow Of milk,
short time after calviDg, by which
means they continue in milk some
years"