Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-05-09
THE PHILOSOPHY OF MILKING.


cept rs they are held together by men,
braneous hgaments. The milk in each
is held in continent tubes, which, like
the roots of tree, are all contracted
into one just above the teat; the milk
entering the funnel shaped organ by a
single channel. Just at the upper end
of the teat the walls of this channel
are contracted, and the contraction is
surrounded by a band of muscular fib-
res. The will of the COW can operate
on this band, contracting or expanding
it at pleasure, making it operate like a
valve. At the junction of each smaller
tube with large one, is smaller con-
traction and band, also under the con-
troll of the will. Ordinarily these bands
are contracted las in the neck of the
bladder), 30 that the milk has to crowd
its way through them to get from the
smaller into the larger tubes.
This is an admirable arrangement for
sustaining the weight of the milk equal
ly in all parts of the udder, and pre-
venting it from pressing heavily upon
the teats.
When the udder is full, if the milk
is drawn out of the teats, relieving the
pressure in them, it requires vigorous
effort of the will of the COW to prevent
the pressure above from crowding the
milk down to fill the vacancy. If the
udder is only partly filed, she can hold
the milk back more easily; and the
less there is in 1.-THE more easily can she
maintain the tension of the muscular
bands necessary to prevent entirely the
milk from flowing through them. When
the mixer first takes hold of the teats
and begins to milk, the excitement
causes the COW to contract the bands so
firmly as to hold back the milk perfect
ly for time. But presently this Wig
orous contraction will begin to slacken,
and the milk will begin to pour through.
and if all is quiet, she will relax the
bands fully; when the milk all settles
down upon the teats, and is quickly
drawn, it can all be MIXED out to the
very last drop.
But this perfect relaxation will only
last for a short time. If the milk ia
not soon extracted. she will begin to
tighten up the muscular bands again,
and the last part of her mess will be
held back and permanently retained,
when the mixer probably thinkshe has
got it all, because it stops coming. A
COW should therefore be MIXED quickly
as well as quietly. 1t is natural for her
to part with her milk in few minutes,
and mixer should come as near that
time as possible. If the time of milk
ing is much prolonged, she will become
impatient, and DO sure not to "give
down" perfectly. The quickest mixer
gets the most and best milk, because he
gets all the strippings," which are
the richest part.
The more quiet and peaceable the
cows can be kept while being MIXED,
the more perfect will be the relaxation
of their udders and the longer will it last.
II anything occurs TO disturb or excite
or attract their attention. tho relaxation
will cease in . moment, and if it occurs
near the close Of the milking. some OF
the best milk will be hold back till the
next milking. when it will become the
poor. blue milk that is FIRST drawn. A
double loss ensues from every such oc-
currance: because leaving milk in a
cows bag always tends to diminish &C.
cretion.-Candda Farmer. t
A