Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-09-23
How 10 Milk Cows.

Ali peison, reared to f...n Labor should
l;nuw how to-.nii = COW. SO they de,
generally, a> l1r a, drauins The milk from
the uud,ler Is concerned. But thatis on
ly-a part Of the process. We have often
seen this important labor so dirtily, bung-
lingly, carelessiy, and cruelty done, that
We have wished that milking school
could be established to show people how
to treat their COWS, and get the most
milk, and To the best advantage, out of
them. AS every dsiryman ought to
know how cow should be MIXED, either
by ones. twos, or Gttics, We, have some
silase:ions to make ON the proper and
i~.>, modes OF doing it. bo!h in lhe treat
men. of the COWS, and the conduct of
their mixers.
1t has been much too common way,
where several COWS are kept. in the gra.
zing season, to drive them into yards,
more "r less filthy from their droppings,
half the time muddy under foot, the
c,.ws launching each other about, frequent
ly without sheds or shelter i'll bad weather,
and doing up their work in {. helterskel-
ter way, as time, chance or opportunity
may offer. In the winter season they are
confined in filthy stables, frequently un-
betlla,i poorly ventilated, and terribly
noisulne with he udors and ammonia
from trine, and The fte,id breath of the
;. cattc within them.
Happily. we believe a better system
is prevailing. and milking, among our
better farmers and housekecpers. is usu.
all, done in aclraiIy way; hnt not nj.
ways to lis. a'tvaa'ase that it might be,
..i.h b.leing Ill the conveniences for doing
~ 55.fni- The best manner. We object to
milking in open yards, where the COWS
;re liable 10 interruption by each other.
or iy7stnrms, and often becoming res.
tive To :.ccidcnts not altogether under
the control uf their milkers. After long
practice in the management of cows for
dairy purposes. and their keeping ar
ranged into regular system, we are sat
siied Of the decided advantage of milk
ing them, in all seasons, under shelter,
and in the stalls which, during the winter
months, they regularly occupy.
Thus We say in well regulated dairy,
COWS, in every season, should be driven
into their stables, or sheds, and secured in
stalls by ties, chains, or stanchions,. for
milking. They are thus under control,
and every animal is. secure from injury
or annoyance by her neighbors. Each
mixer should he furnished with stool
t,,r sitting ON. A bucket of water and
cloth should be at hand to either wash
wine, or otherwise clean the udder and
teats before commencing the work, If
necessary The cows may be fed just
before or after milking, as the season OF
the year, or the habit of The dairy may
be: but the habit whichever way, should
be regularly always. No noise, or loud
talking should be INDUCED among the
mixers Noscolding, fretting, humping
with stools. or otherwise; and if in re-
fractory cases. some discipline of res
tive COW should be needed, none other
than light switch should be used for
punishment. Mild treatment, ind sooth-
ing terms in most cases, are more effec,
tuaLthan harshuess in making cows gen.
tee They should learn to regard their
mixers and keepers as friends, to love
their presence, and confde in their kind.
ness.
The milk should be drawnr rapidly, and
with both hands, in as cleanly Il manner
Us possible. Sometimes, if the mixer
be rnusically inclined, the cow is soothed
and entertained by the droning of a low.
voiced song. We have seen unquiet,
and restive ones, stand quite still while
the mixer hummed his tune, which
without it, she would be timid and un-
ensy-not that it is necessary in usual
eases, but we have known such. One
person will milk eight to twelve, and
sometimes more COWS, at a time, and the
times of milking should not occupy more
than an hour each There is u great
seght-in this work, and some will milk a
dozen cows better, and in less time than
another will six. The cows should be
taken in regular turn. with the same milk
ers to the same cows, as nearly as posi-
BILE, they both become better used to
each other. The times should be as
equally divided in the twenty four hours
of the day as possible. and be the divis
ion of time as it may. it should be regu
lar, that tiie udders be not subject to un
due dStepsion. System, order, and regu-
larity in milking, has much to do with
equable flows of milk, and COWS habitua-
ted to certain times, yield their messes
more regularly in quantity, than when
irregularly milked.
In breaking young he.ers to the pail,
harsh treatment is seldom necessary. If
they have been carefully handled in calf
hood, and as yearlings. they usually come
quietly to the hand OF the mixer Scarce
y one 10 Il dozen is eyer troublesome to
break in or to have difficulty with after
wards, and seldom do: they need a harsh
word spoken to them. We know this
melhY,d t., be good one, by practice in
our own dairy, and commend it with
confidence. By thus treating cows, they
become orderly and systematic in their
habits. Each one goes into her own
stall quietly as she enters the stable,
without hGddIing, hooking, looking or
qnarreling, and they become orderly as q
file of soldiers when going on duty. Per-
haps we have been more fortunate Ik,
this line than many other, who could ntsz
have the immediate supervision of their
cows, as our herdsmap has been in his
present employment with rs sixteen years
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