SUGGESTIONS AS TO PROPER MILKING 157 



adopted by progressive men and has been found 

 to pay. 



Where the cows are kept under clean conditions, 

 i.e. they have clean bedding to sleep on or clean 

 veld to lie on, a brushing of the loose hairs off the 

 udder will be sufficient. But where the udder is 

 soiled with dung and urine it must be washed 

 and wiped dry. This latter is important, because 

 udder trouble may develop if they are not dried. 

 The time taken for doing this is very short 

 indeed, and not half the trouble which some farmers 

 imagine. 



Dry Hand Milking v. Wet Hand. 



At one time a great deal of controversy arose 

 as to whether the hands should be dry or wet for 

 milking. In the Debating Society of the Cape 

 Elsenburg Agricultural College, the matter was 

 discussed and the two systems stood on trial. Each 

 system was vigorously defended by its advocates. 

 It was pointed out that the hands should never be 

 wetted, as this was liable to render the milk impure. 

 Also it was urged that if any one competed for 

 honours in a milking competition at any agricultural 

 show in Europe or America he was quickly dis- 

 qualified if he milked with wet hands. But so 

 many points were raised by the defendants that 

 the chairman in his capacity as judge had some 



