Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1874 — The Philosophy of Milking. [ARTICLE]

The Philosophy of Milking.

—The udder is divided into- four parts, entirely distinct from each other, except as they are held together by membraneous ligaments. The milk in each is held in confluent tubes, which, like the roots of a tree, are all contracted into one just above the teat; the milk entering the funnelshaped organ by a single channel. Just at the upper end of the teat the walls of this channel are contracted, and the contraction is surrounded by a band of muscular fibres. The will of the cow can operate on this band, contracting or expanding it at pleasure, making it operate like a valve. At the junction of each smaller tube with a largtf'one is a similar contraction and band, also under the control of the will. Ordinarily these bands are contracted (as in the neck of the bladder), so that the milk has to crowd its way through them to get from the smaller into the larger tubes. This is an admirable arrangement for sustaining the weight of the milk equally in all parts of the udder, and preventing it from pressing heavily upon the teats. When the udder is full, if the milk is drawn out of the teats, relieving the pressure in them, it requires a vigorous effort of the will of the cow to prevent the pressure above from crowding the milk down to fill the vacancy. If the udder is only partly filled, she can hold the tnilk back more easily; and the less there is in it the more easily can she maintain the tension of the muscular bands necessary to prevent entirely the milk from flowing through them. When the milker first takes hold of the teats and begins to milk, the excitement causes the cow to contract the bands so firmly as to hold back the milk perfectly for a time. But presently this vigorous contraction will begin to slacken, and the milk Will begin to pour through, and if all is quiet she will relax the bands fully; when the milk all settles down upon the teats and is quickly drawn it can be all milked -out to the very last drop. But this perfect relaxation will only last a short time. If the milk is not Soon extracted she will begin to tighten up the muscular bands again, and the last part of her mess will be held back and permanently retained, when the milker probably thinks he has got it all because It stops coming. A cow should therefore be milked quickly as well as quietly. It is natural for her to part with her m'ilk in a few minutes, and a milker should come as near that time as possible. If the time of milking is much prolonged she will become impatient and be sure not to “ give down” perfectly. The quickest milker gets the most and best milk because he gets all the “ strippings,” which are the richest part. The more quiet and peaceable the cows can be kept while being milked, the more perfect will be the relaxation of their udders and the longer will it last. If anything occurs to disturb or excite or attract their attention, the relaxation will cease in a moment, and if it occurs near the close of the milking some of the best milk will be held back till the next milking, when it will become the poor, blue milk that is first drawn. A double loss ensues from every such occurrence; because leaving milk in a cow’s bag always tends to diminish secretion.— Canada farmer. —Lair-Curling Fluid.—Melta piece of white beeswax about the size of a filbert kernel in cne,ounce of olive oil; to this add one oi two drops of otto of roses or some other strong perfume. This preparation keeps the curls in shape tor a long time. „