126 Thirty-Fifth Annual Report of the 



2. Plentiful supplies of early cut hay, carrying some clover. 

 and of mature corn silage or apple pomace silage, 



3. Grain prices as they rule toi-day; 



that a six-pound grain ration of judiciously chosen by- 

 products is in the long run as close an approximation to the best 

 as we are likely to arrive at in this vale of mystery and donljt. 



What has research discovered of importance to the milker ? 



1. An apparently successful and practicable milking machine. 



2. Further insight into the losses due to incomplete milking. 

 I saw some little while ago a milking machine which has 



been in practical operation in a large herd for over a year and 

 with apparent success. This machine seems simple, is readily 

 cleaned, does not irritate the cow, strips better than the average 

 milker, is rapid, but I judge is likely to prove costly. It goes 

 without saying that a mechanism of this kind fills a long felt 

 want. If, as it would seem, its inventor can really cry 

 "Eureka;" it is a marked triumph of applied mechanical 

 science. 



I just remarked "strips better than the average milker." 

 It is well known that the average milker gets less milk than he 

 who does a thorough job, that incomplete milking means not only 

 direct but indirect loss, not only an immediate lessening of the 

 fat yield, but tends towards drying the cow. A Danish scientist 

 has recently developed a special system of udder manipulation, a 

 sort oi massage of the mammary gland, as it were, which it is 

 claimed augments the flow. The Hegelund method, as it is 

 called, involves three manipulations, each thrice repeated or tmtil 

 no more milk is obtained ; first the pressure of the quarter on 

 each side against each other thrice repeated, followed by re- 

 moval of the milk ; second, the pressure of the glands together 

 on each side, the forequarter being first manipulated and then 

 the hind quarters, followed by removal of the milk ; and, third, 

 the fore quarters are pressed between hand and body, the hands 

 holding the teats loosely, then the hind quarters also, followed 

 by milking. 



Trials of the scheme made at the Wisconsin and New York 

 stations afforded a daily average increase per cow of a pound of 

 milk and two ounces of butter. The after-milk was very rich in 

 fat, testing about 10 per cent. This after-milking takes not to 

 exceed five minutes' time — often only two or three minutes. The 

 two ounces of butter may be held at a low estimate to l)e worth 

 two cents. This would be a fair pay for five minutes' work, 

 24 cents an hour and the skimmilk thrown in. Not only is more 

 milk and butter made, but the secretion is stimulated and the 

 lactation period prolonged. 



