19s THE ilANAGE.MEXT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



gate and call, and when the cows who hear the call at 

 once respond by walking toward the gate, there need 

 not be any fear that the cows will be overdriven by such 

 an attendant. 



What good milking means. — Good milking means, 

 among other things, that the milk will be taken in a 

 clean condition, that it will be taken with reasonable 

 dispatch and by one who loves the work, that it will 

 be done by the same person as far as practicable, and that 

 it is done at stated times. The aversion shown by many 

 farm hands to milking adds much to the difficulty of 

 securing all these conditions in milking. 



The quality of milk is easily injured, not only by 

 coming in direct contact with foreign substances, but 

 also by imbibing odors that may be floating in the air. 

 To protect from the first, the milk must be drawn from 

 clean udders, with clean hands, into clean pails, and 

 amid clean surroundings. To protect from the second, 

 attention must be given to the condition in which the 

 stables are kept. The udders of cows come in contact 

 with foreign substances, both when in the pastures and 

 in the stables. These should be removed before the 

 milk is taken. Some advocate using a dry cloth when 

 wiping the udder and teats before milking, but a greater 

 number advocate using one that is damp, but not wet, 

 carried beneath the lid of the milking stool. Of course, 

 there ma}' be instances in which it is necessary to re- 

 move filth from the udder by washing. The practice 

 of further moistening the teats by dipping the fingers 

 into the milk is reprehensible, and it is quite unneces- 

 sary. Metal pails are preferred to wooden ones, as they 

 are more easily scalded, and are less likely to contain 

 hurtful germs. To furnish aid in protecting the milk 

 from foreign substances, some dairymen follow the prac- 

 tice of milking before the cows are fed, as in the process 

 of feeding, especially when feeding fodders, many dust 

 particles are made to float through the air in the stables, 



