MILKlNa BY HAND. 117 



and do the work as fast as they practically can. 

 Always milk with dry hands. Do not dip your 

 fingers in the milk or allow it to be done. A 

 person can milk better with dry hands as soon 

 as he becomes accustomed to doing so. I was 

 taught to milk with wet hands but broke myself 

 of the bad habit. Dipping the fingers in the 

 milk or froth is an uncleanly habit. 



It is best to milk in the stable summer and 

 winter, as it should be cleaner there than in the 

 yard, especially if the milker commences at the 

 right end of the row, that is, the end where 

 his back will be to the wall and no cow 

 behind him, so as to turn out the cow as soon as 

 milked and not have her standing behind him 

 to help to give him a swat and perha,ps kick 

 him in the back. The only time I ever got hurt 

 in milking was by the cow behind kicking me 

 in the back. 



Find the Cause of a Cow's Kicking. — ^When a 

 cow kicks, the first thing the milker should do is 

 to look for the cause. Do not fly into a rage and 

 scold the cow, but remember that the cow must 

 have had cause for kicking. You may think the 

 cause was not sufficient, especially if she hit you 

 where it hurt, as she probably did for cows 

 have a faculty of doing that. When a cow 

 kicks she is either frightened or hurt, and if she 

 is frightened and kicked you it is strong cir- 

 cumstantial evidence that you have some time 



