The Milk Glands and their Functions. 93 



COMPOSITION OF MILKS. (HENRY. ) 



Fleming, in his Obstetrics, places the animals in the 

 order of the richness of their milks, as follows: bitch, 

 ewe, goat, sow, cow, camel, Woman, ass, mare. The 

 first milk after the birth of the young is richer and 

 thicker than ordinary milk, containing a large per cent, 

 of albumen and ash, less water, and is termed Colostrum. 

 This colostrum is usually secreted during the first four 

 or five days after calving. It is intended by Nature to 

 remove the fecal matter (meconium) accumulated in the 

 bowels of the young animal before birth. This natural 

 purgative has done its work when the feces (dung) of 

 the young animal changes from a black or dark- brown 

 to a yellowish color. 



Some breeders when preparing for a milk test get 

 their cows up to a rather fat condition previous to calv- 

 ing, then when the test begins a short time after coming 

 in, the fat on the animal gradually disappears, to reap- 

 pear in the milk pail, this method, however, is only 

 available for a short test. 



In the show- ring various expedients are resorted to 

 in order to mystify or deceive the judge. For example, 

 one-quarter of an udder may be deficient; the udder is 

 balanced up by partially milking out the good quarters, 

 leaving the poorly developed one untouched; in some 



