CHAPTER X. 



MILKING. 



Importance of the Milking Process. The profits 

 from a dairy herd are far more largely dependent upon 

 the conditions under which the milk is drawn than dairy- 

 men are commonly led to believe. For example, hundreds 

 of instances could be mentioned where milk drawn under 

 cleanly conditions has been sold for one hundred per 

 cent more than that drawn under uncleanly conditions. 

 But milking from the standpoint of cleanliness is 

 discussed in the chapter on sanitary milk pro- 

 duction and will, therefore, not be considered here. 

 The conditions that will be treated in the following 

 pages are those which have a direct bearing upon the 

 yield of milk and butterfat, and which are no less import- 

 ant in determining the profits from the herd than are those 

 concerning cleanliness. 



Milk Function Controlled by Nervous System. The 

 various factors bearing upon the secretion of milk are 

 readily understood when it is remembered that the pro- 

 duction of milk is closely associated with the nervous 

 organization of the cow. Whatever reacts upon her nerv- 

 ous system will react in like degree upon the secretion 

 of milk. 



Value of Kind and Gentle Treatment. It is owing 

 to her high nerve development that a cow is so very 

 sensitive to excitement, boisterousness, unkindness, rough 

 treatment and other allied abuses which always react 



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