SKIMMINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1289, 12 November 1896, Page 5

SKIMMINGS.

The secret of keeping milk sweet is in prompt coolingimmediately after taking it from U'e cow. The modern dairy cow is an extremely artificial development, and as such should be entrusted only to the expert breeder, feeder, and handler, just as a complicated machine is placed in the hands of none but skilled mechanics. The best dairy cow is of an intensely nervous nature, and needs to be treated with great consideration. Kicking a cow is a wicked habit, that results in much loss. A cow kept in constant fear of being punished cannot prove profitable to her owner. Give the dairy cow a quiet, sensible, intelligent keeper. Such a man's services are worth good money. Do not withhold feed. It fakes a good deal of food to produce a liberal flow of milk. The more food the greater the product up to a certain limit. Feed not only a liberaTration, but compound the same with care, taking pains to have it well balanced. Of course, it is always well to know just what grains and fodder are most easily and cheaply obtained, and as much of these should be used as possible without injuring the quality of the ration. Gluten and linseed meals are now very cheap, and as they are exceedingly rich, they can be profitably mixed with bran and corn meal in compounding rations that are not only nutritious, but of a quality to produce excellent manure.

A cow can be kept from switching her tail while being milked by an inch rope thrown before her hips and around her tail the two ends of the rope tied together.

Some important statements about the effect upon human tuberculosis by drinking milk from cows affected with the form of disease which is found among the lower animals were made (writes the London, correspondent of The Aye, under date llth September), at the Sanitary Congress held at Newcastle. It was recommended that sanitary authorities shall advise public establishments to give preference to milk from farmers who guarantee it free from tuberculosis by the tuberculin test, that sanitary authorities should advertise the names of milk suppliers selling such pure milk, that tuberculin should be supplied free by Government to farmers who agreed to get rid of cows that fail to stand the tuberculin test, marking such animals for slaughter under a qualified inspector's supervision ; that compulsory abattoirs be established, and that compensation be given to butchers buying carcases of animals, afterwards condemned, that had not shown signs of wasting disease. Before passing resolutions embodying these provisions papers were read by Mr Hunting and Dv Scurh'eld, and there was a most suggestive discussion. It was shown that 30 to 70 per cent, of ordinary dairy cows showed signs of tuberculosis by the tuberculin test, and that in Denmark cows so affected were

kept apart, with satisfactory results. Two years ago at Liverpool the same subject was discussed, but there was a great unwillingness to condemn even the flesh of slightly tainted animals, and a tainted milk supply hardly attracted notice. It is now generally admitted that consumption cannot be grappled with unless the milk supply he scientifically taken in hand. The Tesolutions passed will go before the council of the institute, which will appoint a. committee to .consider them, and to make suggestions.

Dr Gerber, the Swiss scientist, classifies the causes of tainted milk as follows : dirty water, used not only for watering cows, but also for washing cans. (3) Foul air in cow stable**. (4) Uncleanliness in milking. (5) Keeping the milk too long in too warm and too poorly ventilated places. (6) Neglecting to cool the milk quickly after milking. (7) Lack of cleanliness in the care of milk. (8) Poor transportation facilities. (9) Sick cows. (10) The cowb being in heat.

A correspondent of an Australian paper, writing on the subject of exercising cows, makes the following sensible observations:—"l have never seen a cow take much exercise. I have seen them take lively exercise to get enough to live on, but I have never seen a cow go around for it. I have heard people, who required their cows to exercise themselves to get enough to eat, complain that dairying did not pay, but if you will give this cow all she wants to eat, with water in the barn, and enough to eat in the pasture, when her stomach is full she will lie down and ruminate. She starts to digest her food, and does not trouble herself about exercise. She gets exercise enough by the irain on her nerve power. A cow giving us two pails of milk is working as hard as any horse, Get her to eat all she will, and she will take little or no exercise in cold weather, even if she has the opportunity."

From time to time (says Melbourne Weekly Times) complaints are made of the quality of the boxes in which the butter is exported. There is no better wood than the New Zealand white pine. It is a sweet wood, and imparts no odour to the butter. Nearly all, if not all, the factories in the Western District are now using it. The wood is imported direct from New Zealand by Mr P. J. McGennan, and is found most excellent.

A smart, practical fellow who worked for me, writes George E. Scott, in the Ohio Farmer, three years ago dropped on to the device whicli appears in this article. It was during a time when flies were extremely bad that this fellow, who thought to save both his head and his shins, hunted up one of those immense oat dust sacks from the oatmills, and. ripping down one side, threw the affair over the back of the cow, with the closed end over her rear and pulling its length well over her shoulders, so that the entire body was covered. Fjr a few minutes the cow ) struggled with her tail in vain effort to use it over his defenceless head, as she had got in the habit of doing, flies or no flies. On finding th*t there were no flies to brush off she quieted down, and from that date there was no trouble about flies in our stable at milking time. The device answers so well that each milker has a cover and never jtorgets to use it. The closed end practically keeps the co v from switching her tail in a manner to annoy the mil Ker. If there are no large sacks of the description mentioned, take enough coffee or fertiliser sacks (wash the latter) and sew together. I would suggest that a continuation of the robe would cover the neck to the horns and be made sloping to tit. Then the cow will stand absolutely quiet, not having to throw her head first one side and then the other to drive the flies from her neck and sides. When done milking take the right hand and reach to the neck and pull the robe off at one sweep of the hand towards the rear. A moment's time will spread it over the next cow.