146 MANNER OF MILKING. 



is contracted, and there terminates by a frilled edge / 

 the rest of the interior of the teats and ducts being 

 lined by mucous membrane. But, as the udder in most 

 animals is attached in a pendulous manner to the body, 

 and as the weight of the column of fluid would press 

 with a force which would, in every case, overcome the 

 resistance of the contractions of the extremity, or 

 prove oppressive to the teat, there is in the internal 

 arrangement of the udder a provision made to obviate 

 this difficulty. The various ducts, as they are united, 

 do not become gradually enlarged so as to admit the 

 ready flow of milk in a continual stream to the teat, 

 but are so arranged as to take off, in a great measure, 

 the extreme pressure to which the teat would be other- 

 wise exposed. Each main duct, as it enters into another, 

 has a contraction produced, by which a kind of valvular 

 apparatus is formed in such a manner as to become 

 pouches or sacks, capable of containing the great body 

 of the milk. In consequence of this arrangement, it is 

 necessary that a kind of movement upwards, or lift, 

 should be given to the udder before the teat is drawn, 

 to force out the milk ; and by this lift the milk is dis- 

 placed from these pouches, and escapes into the teat, 

 and is then easily squeezed out ; while the contractions, 

 or pouches, at the same time resist, in a certain degree, 

 the return or reflux of the displaced milk." 



The first requisite of a good milker is, of course, 

 the utmost cleanliness. Without this, the milk is unen- 

 durable. The udder should, therefore, be carefully 

 cleaned before the milking commences. The milker 

 may begin gradually and gently, but should steadily 

 increase the rapidity of the operation till the udder is 

 emptied, using a pail sufficiently large to hold all, with- 

 out the necessity of changing. Cows are very sensi- 

 tivc 3 and the pail cannot be changed, nor can the 



