The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-02-15
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
The Right Way Of Willing.

A practical farmer who had many years
experience in the management of the dairy
and paid the closest attention to the act OF
milking, says that the milking OF cows re-
solves itself naturally into two heads, namely:
how to milk, and when to milk. 1t is aston
ishing what difference there is between good
and bad milking. If every drop of milk in
a cows's udder be not carefully removed each
milking, the secretion will gradually diminish
in proportion to the quantity each day left
behind. This fact is accounted for on philO-
sophical principles, and is borne out in prac-
tice. Nature creates nothing in vain, and
secretion of milk in the COW only suftices 10
replace that which is daily lost The milk left
behind in the udder is re-absorbed into the
system and consequently the next milking
will be so much the less in quantity.
But another reason why every drop OF milk
should be taken, is to be found in the we'll
known fact, that the last milk is double as
good as the first; hence, if not removed,
there is double loss. Milking should be
conducted with skill and tenderness, all
chuckipg or plucking at the teats should be
avoided. A gentle ana expert mixer will
not only clear the udder with greater ease
than rough and inexperienced person, but
will do so with far more comfort to the COW,
which will stand, well pleased and quiet,placid-
~ chewing her cud land testifying by her man
ner and attitude, that she experiences pleas
ure rather than annoyance, from the opera
ton. Cows will not yield their milk to per-
son they dislike or dread.
A little practice soon enables the mixer to
perform the act with ease, rapidity and ten
derness. The teat should be taken into the
palm and enclosed by the fingers, which are
pressed tighter below than above, but not alb
solutely tight anywhere. A portion of the
upper part of the hand-the thumb upper
most, embraces portion of the udder, and
the whole hand is drawn gently downward
toward the extremity of the teat between the
thumb and forefnger. The hands of the milk
er should be carefully washed before COM
mencing. The teats of the cow should also
be washed to insure perfect cleanliness and
also to cause the milk to flow gently from the
teats.
We now require to consider when the COWS
are to be milked---a question again resolving
itself into two minor ones, namely: at what
hours, and how often? The ordinary prac-
lice is to milk cows twice a daY---at about
four o'clock in the morning, or in the winter
as soon after daylight as possible, and again
at the,same hour in the evening, it thus leaving
twelve hourssinterval between each milking.
Some recommend milking three times daily
during the summer months, stating as their
reason that the cows are then after calving
and flush of milkings tend to increase
the secretion. There can be no doubt but
that, when fed in proportion, such a con-
slant demand would necessarily increase the
quantity of milk secreted, but then it is likely
that The same causes might produce such a
depression in the secretory system as would
cause decrease of milk in the autumn and
winter, in about an equal ratio.