Milking. 187 



is performed lazily, and will suddenly kick up her hind 

 legs and probably overturn the pail. The importance of 

 milking clean cannot be over-estimated, as neglecting it 

 results in the animal soon going dry. Many a beginner 

 will rise from his task under the impression that he has 

 obtained all, when an experienced hand will afterwards, 

 to his surprise, draw perhaps another quarter of a pint or 

 more. This extra quantity, when all has been apparently 

 obtained, may generally be secured by imitating with the 

 hand the action of the kid when sucking, i.e., sharply 

 pushing up the udder with the closed fist, the teat being at 

 the same time retained in the grasp. It is surprising the 

 effect this has in inducing a fresh flow. The reason why 

 it is so necessary to get at each milking every drop of 

 liquid that the udder contains is that when any is left 

 behind it is absorbed back into the system, serving to indi- 

 cate that a proportionately less amount is required during 

 the following interval, the consequence being that the 

 animal in a short time becomes dry. 



Where several goats are kept it is a good plan to milk 

 all the " strippings " into another pail, using them in tea 

 and coffee, and keeping the other portions for cooking 

 purposes. The reason why the " strippings " or " after- 

 ings " are so much richer than the previously drawn por- 

 tions is that the fatty particles rise to the top of the milk 

 as contained in the udder in the same way as when after- 

 wards placed in open vessels, and as the lower part comes 

 out first it follows that the greatest amount of cream only 

 makes its appearance at the termination ; hence the ad- 

 vantage of drawing every drop that the udder contains. 



'Regularity in 



Regularity in the hours of milking is a point of great 

 importance if an even and constant supply is desired. 

 Indeed, with the exception of food and water, nothing 



