Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-07-23
How to Milk.

the COW be kept where her sides, teats and
udder shall be clean and dry. In the sum.
mer, when cows are grazing, this is easy, but
in the winter, when they are stabbed, il re.
quires some attention and effort to keep them
clean. But it can and always should be
done with COWS which are MIXED. Some
advise washing the udder before every milk
ing. This is not necessary, except in acci.
dental cases. A cows bag has no business
to be Mt every milking in condition to re.
quire washing, whether stabbed or Bot The
man who keeps his cows so filthy as to be
habitually subject to this necessity has failed,
not only in the initial step to good milking,
but in the first essential to neatness 10 dairy
ing. The udder OF COW is not likely to
become filthy without involving other pOr-
tions of her body. Ii it were necessary to
wash her bag, it would be equally SO to wash
her sides also. Milk is very powerful ab.
sorbent, and if there is filth upon or near
her, the scent from il will infect the milk, to
say nothing Of the danger Of getting filth
into the pail. r.
The next requisite is that she shall be
where she will be comfortable and free from
any annoyance or excitement. This is essen.
tial to her "giviug down" perfectly. A
cows bag is interspersed with delicate mus
cles so much under the control Of her will
that she can easily contract them and hold
back portion of her milk. There are but
few cows that can long "hold back" the milk
Of full udder but it is very easy for them
TO hold back whenever there is but little in
the bag, as at the last end of a milking and
this they are very sure to do if there is any
thing unusual to disturb or excite them, as
loud talking being MIXED by stranger, or
even his presence. had my dairy of 20
cows fall short in their yield a pailful Of
milk several times one summer simply from
a ueighbor's dog following into the milking
barn when was milking, my cows not being
accustomed to the sight of dog
Assuming that the COW and her bag are
clean and dry, aud that she is comfortable
and quiet, the mixer should sit down gently
on firm stool, and with light and careful
motion brush the teats, udder and side of the
COW next to him, to free them from any
specks of dust or dirt or hairs that woulI be
liable to fall into the pail A tin pail, with
the top wider than the bottom, is the best
vessel TO milk in. Let this be held firmly
between the knees, with the bottom resting
on the ankles, as this is the safest aud best
way to hold pail to protect it against any
sudden motion of the COW. Ifthe bag is much
pendant, and the COW is very gentle, there is
no objection to setting the pail on the ground
Let the mixer now grasp the teats with his
whole hand, and by a firm and rapid but
steady pressure crowd the milk out by closing
the fingers next to the udder little in ad-
vance Of those below, being careful not to
hurt the COW by pinching her teat between
the ends Of his fingers and his hand, or by
pressing his iDger-nails into the teat as his
hand is closed. Milk the left hind teat with
the right forward one, and the right hind
with the left forward, always holding the left
wrist firmly so as to be ready instantly to
crowd the cows leg back il she should at.
tempt to kick or step suddenly forward. The
milking should always be done with dry
hands, both on account Of cleanliness and fol
the sake Of keeping the teats in good order
IL the teats are too dry and inclined to crack
they may be wet after milking with little
of the strippings, or with little linseed oil
or other soft grease The hands should
press alterns tely and not both at once; and
when milking is once begun it should 90 on
as rapidly as it can consistently with the
comfort of the COW and the strength of the
operator, and without any cessation until the
milk is all drawn, otherwise the COW will get
out Of patience and hold back the last part
OF her milk.
The milk in the udder is contained in
branching tubes and numerous small cavities
distributed through it, the tubes coming to.
gether just at the upper end ol the teat, and
forming a single CONSTRUCTED channel, which
is inclined to keep closed, and is nearly
equivalent TO valve. Toward the close Of
milking, little pulling down as the teat is
pressed works the milk out of the little cavi.
ties by stretching and flattening them, and al
the same time pulls open the CONSTRUCTED
channel to let it flow through. This pulling
down must be gentle and moderate As done
by the calf in sucking it is Just right. II
the teats are pulled too hard, the severe
stretching Of the walls of the passage at the
, upper end OF the teat causes them to pull up
aud thicken, so much as to impede the flow
into the teat and often to stop il entirely
For this reason the practice Of stripping the
milk out by pulling down with the thumb
, and fingers, and letting the teat slip between
/ them as the milk is driven out, is not good
practice. 1t often causes the passage at the
top of the teat to pull up and close, as just
described, and to make the thckening of the
5 walls apparent by a hard bunch which feel.
$ like kernel of corn. The stripping methoc
, pulls too hard.
> To get out the last drop of milk is an i'm
portant means of keeping up aud prolonginl
the flow. Nothing will dry up COW faster
than to leave part of her milk in her bal
y at each milking. 1t will often aid in gettinl
that important drop to clasp the lower par
of the udder, or so much of it as can b,
taken in, and slide the hand down, gently
pressing, so as to help crowd the milk for
0 ward, till the hand comes to the position 70
1 grasping the teat, and pressing the milk out
All this should be done as expeditiously a
/, possible as the quicker the milk is got ou
the more perfectly it can be drawn.
: New York Tribune.