The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-08-30
CONCERNING MILKING.
To Do So Properly Demands
More Consideration.
REQUISITES OF A GOOD MIXER
No Cow Will Do Her Best for the Mixer
Who Hits Her With Stool-Give Her
Hand-Study Her individuality.

No Cow Will DO Her Best for the MiIker
who Hits Her with a stool-Give Her
Kind Word or a Gentle Pat of the
Hand-study Her individuality.
I have never claimed to be "the
champion mixer" but among the many
different ones l have had to assist in
milking in the last twenty-five years /
have never been beaten as to time. The
Importance of milking properly demands
more consideration than has been given
it. l always think good mixer is one
who quietly and quickly draws the milk
in such manner as to please the COW,
and at the same time have the COW con-
tinue to hold out her mess late in the
season.
In the first place a good mixer will
always have kind word or gentle pat
of the hand, and the COW learns to ex-
pect it, and knows she has friend in
the mixer. No COW will do her best for
the mixer who hits her with his stool,
saying, "Get around there, you old
fool" How many times we have heard
that, and had Balaam's ass been present,
should have expected him to make some
comments.
The good mixer will study the in
dividuality of the COW. Some cows are
SO extremely sensitive that if the teats
are grasped little too quickly they will
Jump, and through fear of being hurt
will not give their milk as readily.
Ny practice in milking is this: First,
I select the hardest milking cows, if
there are any, but do not long milk a
very hard one without cutting the teat
If there happens to be one more nervous
than the others take her for my COW.
AS l come to COW No. q always milk
the same cows and in the same rotation)
| speak kindly to her, SO as to attract
her attention. Sitting down, l take a
good-sized cloth | keep for the purpose
and carefully wipe off the udder and
teats, carefully underneath and on the
further side, so as to remove any particles
of loose dust that may adhere.
Taking my pail between my knees,
take hold of the teats gently, and the
first two or three streams press firmly,
but not too quickly. Many times mixers
make a great mistake here in grasping
the teats quickly, and begin jerking
away at the tune of yankee DOODLE"
After one or two streams are carefully
drawn the COW finds the operation a
pleasing one, and is ready to give her
full flow of milk Taking the forward
teat next to me in my right and the back
teat from me in my left, 1 begin firmly
and steadily to draw full streams.
agree with Mr.. Boyd in having the hand
as close to the end of the teats as posi-
BILE. | have carefully watched mixers,
and l firmly believe best results are OBJ
tanned by milking diagonally, as have
described.
The hands should be frequently
changed so as to relieve all quarters OF
the udder as nearly alike as possible. |
open my hand wide for two reasOns-to
relax the muscles of the hand, for by so
doing l can milk twice as many cows
without firing my hands-and Iconsider
it very essential to frequently slip the
hand up on the udder and gently obtain
all the milk. | never strip as long as
the streams come readily.
Toward the close | reach up on the
loosened and nearly empty udder with
my left hand, pressing the last remain
ing milk down into the teat, and with
the right quickly remove it. Going
around in this manner quickly from teat
to teat, the udder is quickly and thor
oughly freed from milk, and there is no
call for thumb and finger stripping. As
to the matter of sitting on the right side
it is simply matter of custom. We
could use ourselves and COWS to the left
side just as well.
Just one more point. l know from
years of experience that some cows will
not let the mixer have all their milk,
but will dry off prematurely, unless they
are fed while being MIXED. Finally
study your COW, and make up your mind
you can get along with her, the same as
with most of people, good deal better
by coaxing than by driving.-Josiah D.
Smith in Hoard's Dairyman.