A NEW METHOD OF MILKING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 173, 22 July 1903, Page 7

A NEW METHOD OF MILKING.

This method of milking has created great interest of late in Scandinavian dairy circles. The main point of the method coujsists in following up the regular milking Iby a system of manipulations of the ud- ! der which will remove all the milk re- ; maining in the cavities and ducts of the i udder at the time of milking. The ordinjary method of stripping fails to remove j this portion, which is doubly, valuable on account of its high fat content. The author does not give any data in this report as to the increase in yield of milk obtained by the new method, but others have stated it to be from about one to three pounds a day per head. The following synopsis of I the method of milking recommended by tue i iiutUor will explain its essential features: — I The milking is done with dry hands and i the whole hand, the two fore teats being I milked iirst. The milking is begun by lifting, the hands alternately with a pressure against the udder, the teats being held I loosely with the hands.' When considerable I milk has come down, each hand is lowered I until the teat has Its natural length, with,©ut being stretched. As the hand is lower!ed the teat is pressed from above downi ward with a gradually increasing pressure, i and a continuous stream of milk is thus i pressed out of the teat. At first the milKing is done slowly, taking care that the teat is not stretched; stretching will cause the cow to hold up her milk. When the milk flows readily, the milking is proceeded with as rapidly as the milker can possibly do it, until but very little milk is obtained. Interrupting the milking from the time the miik flows freely until the udder is emptied must be guarded against, as soon as a good flow of milk comes, the pressure against the udder mentioned above may be omitted. When only a thin stream of milk is obtained by this manipulation, the hand is again opened above, and whiio the lower fingers loosely hold the teats, thus remaining at the place most conveuient for pressing the milk out of the teats, the hand is pressed against the udder, or its lower part is grasped so as to more easily secure a full stream of milk. When the fore teats do not give more mliv, the hind teats are handled in the sani • way, but without beginning with the presBur'e against the udder. The hind teats being emptied, the clean milking" is begun. The fore teats are again grasped and the hands lifted to around the lower part of the fore quarters, taking hold of this, thumb'on one side and lingers on the other. The milk is pressed Into the milk cistern by means of a light pressure, and from there out of the teat, emptying the fore quarters. In milking the hind quarters the hand grasps with each grip •veil up around the hind part of the quarAii "after milking" now takes place, which is conducted in three different manipulations in the following manner: tfirst manipulation: The right quarters aru pressed against each other (if the udder is very large, only one quarter is taken at a time), with the' left hand on the hind qnarter, and the right hand in front of the fore quarter. The hands are now pressed toward each other, while the milker at the same time lifts them toward the body or the cow. This pressing and lifting is repeated three times, the milk collected in the milk cistern is then milked out, and the manipulation repeated until no more milk is obtained, when the left glands are treated In the same way. Second manipulation: The glands are pressed together from the outside. The fove quarters are milked, each by ltsolf, by pmclng a hand witn lingers spread, on each side of the quarter; the hands are pressed against eacn other and the teats then milked. When no more milk is obtained by this manipulation, the hind quarters are milked by placing a hand ou the outside of each quarter, likewise fingers spread and turned upward, but with the thumb just In front of the hind quarter. The hands are lifted and grasp into the gland from behind and from the sido, after which they arclowered to draw tlie milk. The manipulation Is repeated until no more milk is obtained. Third manipulation: The fore teats are grasped with partly closed hands and are lifted with a push up toward the body of the cow, both at the same time, by which method the glands are pressed between the hands and the body. The milk is drawn after each three pushes. When tne fore teats are emptied, the hind teats are milked In the same manner. The milking Is then finished. —"Nebraska Farmer."