THE GOOD MILKER.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 6979, 4 February 1888, Page 3

THE GOOD MILKER.

Drawing the milk from the cow is an everyday job—we might say twice-a-day job. The operation looks simple enough and is quite easy for one who understands it. None others should ever milk -aco w, for it is important that the milking should be done rightly, rapidly, and without hurting the cow or producing any sense of uneasiness. Many good milkers could not tell you, if asked, how they milk. They do it from habit acquired by early and long practice, and without thought as to how they do it. But a good milker opens his hand and grasps a portion of the udder, pressing the milk down into the teat, and when his thumb and forefinger come to where the teat proper begins, they are tightly clasped, so as to prevent a return of f_e milk to the udder. Then quickly followsthesecond, third, audfourth fingers, each pressing the milk downward, until I the whole hand is closed and the milk is ! expelled. This l« the proper way to grasp or squeeze the reafc. Some milk with the \ thumb and filiger, stripping the milk out by letting the teat draw through between them. This may be done, with easy milking, short-teated cows, but is by no means a method to be commended. It pulls too much on the teat and is liable to hurt a sensative cow. There is no need of pulling the teats at all as many do, the gentle, rubbing pressure at first made on the udder being suflicient to fill the teat, which should be emptied by- a' gentle squeeze, as just described. This does not hurt the cow, unless the nails may be driven into the skin—which should by all means be avoidedr-or the teat is sore, in which case it should be carefully moistened an\ limbered with the ointment before begfVning to milk. A good, careful, kind, rapid, and thorough milker is a valuable hand in a dairyman's service,— Prairie Fanner.