The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-06-13

in a herd of any size, this facto,
would be of much Importance.
The last milk or strippings i.
always much richer than the frs
so that it is well worth an extr:
effort to obtain it. The quantit,
and quality of this last portion O
the milk is not the only factor
however, which concerns us-a.
we must also consider the effect.
of this kind of milking on the la
cation period of the COW.
The whole hand should be usec
in milking instead of the thumb
and forefnger alone. Authori
ties state that stripping a COW
tends toward lessening her mill,
flow and eventually drying hel
up. That part of the hand next
to the udder should be closed first
and the milk forced out of the
teat by closing the remainder OF
the hand.
Always milk with dry hands,
as wetting the hands with milk
and then moistening the cows
teats is one of the most objection
able practices imaginable. Be-
sides being a very filthy habit, it
also allows the teats to chap, es-
pecially in the winter, and it be-
comes sore in any kind of bad
weather. If it is hard to milk a
cow dry handed it would be far
better to rub a little vaseline on
the teats, as it would have a heal
ing effect upon the teats instead
of encouraging soreness.
Many a promising dairy COW
has been ruined for future use by
improper care and by careless
milking soon after calving. In
heavy producing cows, before and
just after calving, the udder is
enlarged, as a rule, and more or
less hot and tender. This con-
gestion need cause no alarm, as
it will usually disappear in two
or three days, when the secre-
ton of milk will have become
fully established.
The most importont factors in
such a case are as follows: First,
feed no succulent feeds for a
few days before and a few days
after parturition, as such feeds
stimulate milk secretion; second,
milk the cow and massage the
udder with the palm of the hand
two or three times daily after the
calf has had the first milk; third,
use gentleness in milking and
massaging or kneading the I'D
der, always bearing in mind that
Elbow grease" is better than
anything else in curing mild cases
of caked udder.
After the udder becomes con-
gested to a certain extent no fur
ther secretion can take place un-
til this congestion is removed by
out the udder. Any one
can usually determine by close
observation whether or not it
will pay to milk three times
daily. Of course this does not
apply to the cows of ordinary
capacity, as their in
crease would not be sufficient to
pay for the extra trouble and
abor involved.
Few cows can produce over
fifty pounds of milk per day
without being milked three times
day, and in case the production
'eaches seventy five to eighty
pounds it will seldom increase
lnless the number of milkings
are increased to four per day.
The art or science of milking,
it may be called, can
oe successfully attained only by
hose who are willing to study
zach individual COW which they
nave to milk, her disposition,
and peculiar char
lcteristics. The most important
;hings to keep in mind are: First,
maintain an absolute quietness
lround the cows; second, milk
With clean, dry hands; third,
milk quickly; fourth, milk COM
,letely; fifth, milk at regular
,ours each day; sixth, use five
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