II^LINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 9T 



rich milk. When twice the time needed to milk a cow is taken 

 the quantity is not much affected but the amount of butter fat 

 is reduced nearly One eighth. The milk should be withdrawn 

 as rapidly as possible without causing discomfort to the animaL 

 Milking is quite an art. Some milkers get more and richer 

 milk than others from the same cow. 



Clean milking is one of the first essentials in keeping up and 

 prolonging the flow. Carelessness in this regard will defeat suc- 

 cess no matter how much skill is exercised in other particulars. 

 Not only is an even division of the periods from night to morn- 

 ing desirable but regularity in time of milking from day to day 

 is of great importance. Often a difference of one hour in the 

 time of milking will influence the amount given ten per cent, and 

 if such irregularities are continued in from day to day the flow 

 will soon be reduced. 



Milk drawn at different times also varies in composition, al- 

 though the influence of the time of milking is not the same with 

 all animals; as a general rule the longer the interval between 

 milkings the larger will be the amount of milk given and the 

 poorer the quality, and the shorter the period the smaller the 

 amount and better the quality. This is why it is so often thought 

 that morning's milk is richer than evening's. The cows are 

 milked early in the morning and late at night, thus making the 

 interval before the morning milking much the shorter. 



The composition of milk is affected to quite an extent by the 

 period of lactation. The average cow gives milk poorest in fat 

 just after calving. It becomes gradually richer and in two or 

 three weeks is about where it will remain for six or seven months,, 

 or whenever the cow shrinks in flow, after which it gradually be- 

 comes richer in fat, the other solids increasing but slightly. 



DISCUSSION. 



A Member: What makes the variation in the per cent of 

 fat ? 



Prof. Fraser: We all feel better sometimes than we do at 



