GOi EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Investigations of methods of milking, F. W. Woll ( Wisconsin >S'/((. Bui. 96, pp. 

 9, figs. 18). — Considerable importance is attached by the author to the method of 

 milking originated by Hegelund, previously noted (E. S. R., 14, p. 28H). In the 

 introduction to the bulletin the method is described and the manipulations are illus- 

 trated. The physiology of milk secretion is also considered. Extensive tests of the 

 method made with a number of dairy herds are reported in detail and discussed. 

 The author's summary of the results is quoted below in full: 



"(1) The milking experiments conducted by the writer were made partly with 

 cows in our university herd, partly with cows in 12 different Wisi-onsin dairy herds. 

 The aim in all cases was to ascertain the gain in the production of milk and butter 

 fat oljtained by a system of manipulations of the udder after the regular milking was 

 finished (Hegelund method); where the ivgular milker did not milk clean, the gain 

 oT)tained by clean milking, together with manipulation of the udder, was ascertained. 

 The plan of the ex])eriments was therefore such as to show the character of the work 

 done by the different milkers. 



"(2) In our university herd the average daily production of uiilk from 24 cows 

 was increased by 4.5 per cent by means of the manipulation method and the produc- 

 tion of fat was increased by 9.2 per cent (range 3 to 30.2 percent for individual cows), 

 as the result of a milking experiment continued for 4 weeks; the average gain in 

 milk being 1 lb. and in fat 0.09 lb. jier head jier day. 



" (3) A similar average increase in production was obtained for the 12 dairy herds 

 tested, viz, a gain of 1.08 11)S. in the daily production of milk jier cow and 0.1 11). of 

 fat. The results obtained in this investigation, extending over a period of 4 months, 

 with cows in all stages of lactation, indicate that this gain is maintained through the 

 whole period of lactation. An increase in the daily production of butter fat per cow 

 of one-tenth of a pound, for the million cows in the State would mean ari annual gain 

 of 30,000,000 lbs. of butter fat if the cows give milk 300 days in the year; the value 

 of this increase to the dairy industry of the State would be about $6,000,000, on 

 l)asis of a valuation of 20 cts. a pound for butter fat, a figure considerably l)elow 

 average Elgin j^-rices. 



" (4) The largest amount of milk obtained from a cow bj' the manipulation 

 method, after the regular milking was done, was 5.5 lbs. j^er day and the lowest, 0.20 

 lb. The corresponding figures for fat production Avas 0.64 and 0.02 11). The former 

 figure is considerably above the average total daily production of cows in this or 

 other States. 



" (5) The greater portions of the gains obtained came through lack of care on part 

 of the legular milker as the cows were not milked perfectly clean. But even in 

 herds where the milkers did their work well, there were always one or more cows 

 which gave an increase of nearly a pound of milk and one-tenth of a jiound of butter 

 fat by the mani})ulatiou method. 



" (6) The milk obtained by the manipulation method is similar in composition to 

 that of "stri])i3ings; " on the average for all herds it contained 10.32 per cent fat and 

 was .ound to be about 2i times richer than the ordinary milk. The highest per cent 

 of fat iOund in the after-milking from any one cow was 23 per cent and from any herd, 

 14.41 per cent. 



"(7) The difference in the work done by different milkers is brought out strongly 

 by the results of the work done. In several cases one milker did his work so much 

 better than the others in the same herd as to be worth nearly $10 a month more to the 

 owner, on account of the larger yields of milk and fat which he obtained from the 

 cows milked by him. 



"(8) The results obtained in this investigation suggest that a thorough system of 

 milking is a foundation requirement in successful dairying. For, aside from directly 

 increasing the production of milk and fat from the cows, exhaustive milking will 

 be likely to maintain a maximum flow of milk throughout the lactation period and 

 to permanently develop the dairy qualities of both the dam and her offspring." 



