THE DAIRY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 745, 11 June 1886, Page 15

THE DAIRY.

A correspondent of Farm and Field makes the following remarks on this subject :—Milking is not considered very pleasant work, and should be done by the men folks of the farm, especially in the winter and in inclement weather. What is a more pitiable sight at this season than to see a woman with an old shawl over her head, bout over at an angle of 45deg, holding a quart tin cup in cne hand, whilst with the other she endeavors to milk a shivering cow that is standing in a fence corner, or perchance behind the barn, to avoid the chilling blast ? This picture is not overdrawn ; so, men and boys, reform. Provide shelter for the cows, and then do the milking. Your wives and sisters will have better health through less exposure, and farm life, to them at least, will be more enjoyable. Kindness and patience are both essential qualities in a good milker ; both hands should be used at once, as the quicker a cow is milked the better, and if she endeavors to kick, by pressing the left arm against her thigh, without letting go the teat, she very rarely strikes the pail, and no loss is sustained. She should be milked clean, or until no more can be had, as the last pint drawn is far richer than the first. When a cow’s teats become chapped or sore, glycerine should be used, rubbing it in gently. Before milking, provide yourself with a good three-legged stool. To prevent the stool from striking the cow when she misbehaves, it is best for you to sit on it until you are in good humor. A prominent milkman (the owner of forty cows) told me a sure remedy to cure a cow of the habit of holding up her milk. It was to fasten her head between the then stick a pin in her back just forward of her hips ; one or two applications he said would cure the worst cases. I knew a man who tried to break his cow of this habit by placing a weight across tbe back wkm milk ing. He first tied a two-bushel sack of oats, which seemed ta have no effect ; thinking the weight insufficient, be got astride the cow behind the oats, when like a flash she kicked up, and he went over making the discovery that he was down but the milk was not