Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-07-10
RIGHT MILKING.
Certain Principles Must BE UNDER
stoOsi and Closely Followed.

Certain Principles Must BE Under
stoosi and Closely Followed.
A matter of farm economy often
overlooked is that of right milking.
Anybody on the farm who can squeeze
stream of milk out of cows teat is
set at the task. And those who do not
know how, provided they are part Of
the farms working force, are made to
learn. Milking is chore not requiring
much strength and on the ordinary
farm considered as not requiring great
skill. If the COWS have any milk, the
ordinary mixer can get it. What more
is asked?
When butter is sold for II cents per
pound, there is no incentive to pains
taking milking, but where milk or but
ter has become one of the farms staple
products care in milking is worth
while The large number of cows on
some farms, to be sure, requires all the
help available, but the youngsters and
inexperienced men should be we'll
taught before they become regular
helpers.
The first principle of teaching should
be cleanliness. \ mixer with clothes
so grimy that particles of dirt and dust
fall into the milk and whose hands
could be benefited by soapsuds needs
a lesson: ditto the person who sticks
his fingers into the milk pail or milks
on his hands so as to wet the cows
teats. In addition to cleanliness on the
part of the mixer care in thoroughly
brushing off the cows udders should
be insisted upon and particular care
that either through kicking, switching
or otherwise none of the stables filth
gets into the milk. The best way to
guard against such accidents is to have
the stable clean.
After cleanliness comes efficiency. 1t
includes good ways of holding the teat,
rapidity and thoroughness of milking
The teat, if not too short, should be
grasped with the whole hand, the in
dex finger and thumb pressing, as the
hand closes, a little more firmly than
the lower fingers, thus forcing the milk
downward instead of upward. Milking
with the thumb and one or rwo fingers,
slipping them down the reat, is to be
condemned, since it is neither quicker
nor easier than the whole hand way
and calls for the filthy practice of wet
ting the teats. Thoroughness means
getting the last and richest drop. 1t is
necessary to milk dry, al: dairymen
know, if the COW is to be kept up with
her milk. Rapidly of milking, unless
it be violent, stimulates the milk flow.
Finally comes the treatment Of the
COW. 1t is of great Importance, with
the nervous COW perhaps of first impor-
lance. Singing of boisterous kind,
whistling, chattering, loud talking. to
say nothing of rough handling, certain
~ does not make the COW more COM
Portable and therefore cannot be con-
ducive to full, steady flow Of milk.
And do not treat the COW to an indif-
lar hours of milking. Because of mere
changing about of mixers we have
frequently noticed in herds of fifteen
or twenty cows d decrease of 10 per
cent in a days milk. Let each COW be-
come acquainted with her mixer and
let the mixer stick by her.
All of these things cleanliness, eff
cheney and careful treatment OF the
cowAare matters of economy, for if all
the COW has is to be got from her and
the product is to be marketed in first
class style they must receive attention.
They must be taught the new mixers.
Homestead.