50 

 The Cow. 



Farmers are far too well satisfied with the cows they keep. Were they 

 their hired help they would not give them shelter another night. They 

 would let them go for the simple reason that they did not earn their bread, 

 let alone showing the smallest profit. We must, if we wish to make 

 dairying pay, increase and improve the milk. A cow that is well fed and 

 cared for should produce 6,000 pounds of milk containing 3-6 per cent, 

 butter fat, or should make 250 pounds of butter per year. I would urge far- 

 mers to weigh the milk from each cow at least one day every mortth and 

 test it for butter fat. This is the only accurate Way of making compari- 

 sons and finding out what the herd is doing individually. The cow stable 

 should be well lighted, well ventilated, and kept clean. Give the cows 

 plenty of wholesome food. It is the poorest economy to stint the cows 

 either in the matter of food or water. Also see that salt is always ac- 

 cessible to the cattle. 



Milking. 



There is no nicer place to milk cows than in a weii-kept stable. Milk 

 c|uietly, quickly, cleanly, and thoroughly. Cows do not like unnecessary 

 noise or delay. Commence milking at the same hour night and morning, 

 and milk the cows in the same order. Wipe the cow's flank and udder 

 to prevent loose dirt and hairs falling into the milk. Do not wet the 

 hands with milk. A practice to be recommended is rubbing a little vase- 

 line on the hands. This keeps the teats in nice condition and overcomes 

 the objection some have of milking with dry hands. Nothing tends more 

 readily to drying up the milk flow than leaving a little milk in the udder. 



Straining the Milk. 



■ 



Remove the milk as soon as possible from the stable, and immediately 

 strain through several thicknesses of cheese cloth. Place the cheese cloth 

 over the bottom of the strainer, and secure it with an easily fitting tin 

 hoop. The cloth must be removed and well washed after each time of 



usmg. 



Creaming the Milk. 



Shallow Pans. This method is the oldest, and is still used when 

 but a few cows are kept or when ice cannot be secured or the supply has 

 become exhausted. Tests of the skim-milk show that when the milk has 

 been properly set and skimmed, the loss of butter-fat is no greater from 

 the shallow pans than from creamers. The milk should be set in clean, 

 bright tins, and should not exceed three inches in depth. It is most nec- 

 essary that the milk room be clean and free from all odors, as milk so 

 readily absorbs any taint that may be in the atmosphere. The tempera- 

 ture should range between 50 and 60 degrees. Avoid having the milk 

 close to the wall or in a strong draught, so as not to have a leathery coat 



