MILKING COWS.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 63, 23 September 1875, Page 7

MILKING COWS.

The folfowing, by a dairykeeper in the old country,,may be of interest to some of our- .readers :— There Ts a wide difference among t»ws in respect. to the time they continue in milk. . Some are inclined to dry:up,in aiew months, and others, to milk the year round, both . being treated the' same. It is common 4br bows <to have the .flow of _ milk diminish in three, or four weeks after . being in cal£ and if there is khf lack in they are put to dry down pretty rapidly, and not to recover irom'.theikshrinkage, but to continue B^rinkiri^,'€ria 7 t<j Itave their milking J i*easoi£ considerably 06rteriea^ flows ofterier"sliruik Ci at" this particular^geribd when well fed* and the* shrinkage may .i»;epiite_. T Sudden,.;,so . sudden.; : that the; owner wonders what can be tne cause,! Pr suspects tfiev^ itfe : se*i6ufely tu^^ed. WHakei :: c 6$ u hold J 6u£ iM'^rispej fed iQm&jywfk mk?*^im^& t J&* aii<fc the supply mnstbe-ioriramitt-*fiteTO!^gsa^ ajitf-tHe lame iniay be jsMMj&b' TO" sri^^y ; '^Fjmilgnk milk »tLirnegUkr lioui% oritoodiWOAthe *6kso milUftig,t9ndT to dry ufc||e^,a|sJ shorten the milking season. Milking properly is an important item in mak-

ing jKevMieen able"TOTlfr|-raim^vmo^^6^la make bis-epwS) hj>ld_ put- M ?W«JI a3,thos9rT MiffiSSyle^^ quietly, and perfectly, getting the last drop every ffme.*"~lfei3s which are not inte^e|fesrare f|pf JfoJ ioUkf slb,^ perhaps stop to talk, or to listen to apu* vernation, r Cows which are thus milked do notjgive fhei^railk : down 1 perfectly. The 'ffdw 5 of, Mk ! ifff6 the -teats-is; soim> what; under ; ; the j&ontrpl of the cow's will. She' can relax the the muscular tissues which close up the milk tubes, andVlel theTmillc press *3pwn, upon the teats; or she^-can^ contract ?them, and close the tubes,, and prevent the milk from passing 'into the 'teats.; When the milker first takes hold of the teats the cow tightens | the: constricting; muscles and shuts off ,£he flow as. far as she can, but. in afewmihutes,if there h nothing to disturb { her, sheslackens them again* and. the milk all presses down upon the teats. If it is then quietly and rapidly drawn, out it. may be all.obtained. But , this perfect relaxation which occurs in ■ a few minutes after the milking begins does not remain long. The cow begins to gradually draw up the muscles which close the milk tubes and to shut off the flow, and if the milking is protracted a little too long, or the cow is in any way disturbed or excited, she can and will retain a part of her mess, and this will be sure to work a steady diminution of her milk, and make her dry up prematurely. It is thus that a slow, noisy, or irregular milker is fatal to a prolonged milking season. Perhaps it may never have occurred tb some of our fair lady readers that the refuse soot of their chimneys is one of the most valuable stimulants and fertilisers they can have for their garden flowers. The following incident of practical experience is from a lady contributor to a contemporary: — During two seasons I nursed, fed, and petted a grape-yine — as much for its shade over a window as for its fruit — but it persisted in remaining a stunted vine, yellow, and refusing . to climb. At the window on the other sjde of the door, I had a stunted rose bush, also yellow, and refusing tb climb.- Despairing of grapes and roses, I finally bethought myself of soot as manure, and forthwith made a " soot tea," by steeping a teacup of soot in a quart of water. This I administered, two doses each, to both the tree and the vine. The vine grew six feet in height in the space of six weeks, the rose bush four feet in the same length of time — both thereafter rejoicing in raiment of living geen.