July 1, 1901. 
Supplement to the "Tropical Agriculturist." 
69 
aud the last jet (or the last dropsi which can 
be squeezed out of the saDie teat ia another glass. 
Place the two small glasses in a cool place ; aud 
after 24 hours it is astonishing to see the great 
difference there is in the layer of cream. The 
first milk is oaly good skimmed milk, while the 
last is nearly their cream. Getting out all the 
possible milk is therefore of importance not only 
for the development of the cow's power of giving 
milk, but also for obtaining rich milk. Thus the 
milker who does not take sufficient time to milk 
the cow quite dry, either does not know her or his 
work, or is not carrying it out conscientiously. 
After the milking is finished the covv should 
again be patted in a soothing way, aud a kind 
word may again be said to her. The milker should 
always keep an eye on the state of health of the 
udder and teats. If swellings or lumps or ten- 
derness in the udder, sores on the teats or blocked 
milk channels are observed, or the milk looks un- 
natural (for example, lumpy, reddish, etc.), the 
owner or other responsible person should be at 
once informed. 
As disease of the udder and teats are often 
infectious, such cows should always be milked last, 
and the milk from the diseased udder should be 
carefully put in a separate pail and thoroughly 
disinfected (and then thrown away, of caurse) or 
thrown away where it cannot spread the infection. 
The milk canal inside the teat is occasionally 
very narrow or has a frequent tendency to get 
blocked. To make use of a straw or such means 
to clear it, is very wrong, as it can set up inflamma- 
tion in the corresponding gland. A teat with a 
blocked milk canal should be rolled gently between 
the hands held out flat and then carefully milked. 
After the first calf the heifer is apt to feel 
tender and hence inclined to object the milker's 
touch. This tenderness lasts, in a few cases, to 
the later years. In such cases one must set about 
milking with even greater gentleness and care. 
Nothing but kindness should be used unless the 
cow is very "wicked." 
To milk quite dry, as a means of milk-giving 
power to a cow, is especially important in the 
case of a heifer after its first calf ; since it acts 
with even greater power on the heifer than on 
the older cow. 
It would be a good thing if every milker was 
provided with two smocks of washable material, 
one being always in the wash or clean, so that a 
clean one may be put on at least once a week. 
As one ought to milk with bare arms, these blouses 
should have short sleeves and be made so that they 
can easily be slipped on over the ordinary dress. 
In wet weather, when milking is d )ue out of 
doors, a waterproof cloak is almost a necessity. 
It should be a point of honour for the milker to 
see that all pails, etc., in which the milk is 
collected should be absolutely clean. This scru- 
pulous cleanliness is of course a necessity. The 
pails, etc., are best made of tin-plated steel and 
must not be allowed to rust. 
Complete cleaning is best and most easily done 
as follows :— Immediately they are finished with, 
the pails are washed with two or three lots of cold 
water; afterwards they are completely covered 
both inside and outside with thick lime water, 
then scrubbed with cold water, rinsed and washed 
again two or three times in clean cold water, and 
finally in clean boiling water, and then allowed to 
drain dry in the open air ; they must twt be wiped 
with a cloth nor with anything else. 
Be it morning, noon, or evening, the hands must 
be carefully washed before going to milking, and 
if the milking is done indoors one should also 
wash and dry the hands whenever they get at all 
dirty. For the sake of cleanliness it is best to 
milk with dry hands. 
{To be concluded.) 
AGRICULTUEE IN THE TRANSVAAL AND 
ORANGE RIVER COLONIES. 
[The following reference to Agriculture in the 
Transvaal and Orange Eiver Colonies is taken from 
a reprint of a lecture delivered by Prof. Wallace 
on Agriculture in South Africa, delivered at the 
Eoyal Colonial Institute on March 12th last. 
The reference should prove interesting at the 
present time when so large a number of the 
late inhabitants of these colonies is iu our 
midst. We shall probably make further extracts 
from this interesting paper. — Ed. A.M.~^ 
The Transvaal and the Orange River ' Colonies 
are grassy, pastoral, and essentially cattle coun- 
tries. The area of the Transvaal is similar to 
that of Erance, while that of the Orange River 
Colony is less in the proportion of about 70 to 114. 
VVitwatersrand, or White Waters Ridge, is the 
watershed of two great river systems, being the 
highest surface traversing for about 300 miles, in 
an east to west direction, the elevated plateau of 
the "Hoogeveld" or High Veld of which the 
Transvaal forms a part. All the water to the 
north discharges into the Limpopo, the northern 
boundary of the Col( ny, and that to the south into 
the Vaal. The name Tran.'^vaal implies the 
position of the Vaal as the southern boundary, 
Johannesburg on the highest part of the "Rand," 
as it is curtly designated, is 5,735 feet above sea 
level (at Park Railway Station). To the north as 
well as to the south the elevation falls away 
pretty rapidly, so that Pretoria, the capital, only 
35 miles to the north, is 1,600 feet lower, and 
Heidelberg, which is almost a like distance to 
the south-east, stands at only 4,900 feet. Kim- 
berley, to the west of the Orange River State, 
has an elevation of 4,012 feet. The climate of 
Johannesburg is one of the coolest in Africa, the 
hot weather lasting for barely four months, while 
at Kiaiberley it extends to eight months in the 
year. 
The high country— 4,000 feet or upwards above 
sea level — occupies the southern section of the 
Colony, 
North of this is the Bush-veld or bush country, 
at a lower level and having a warmer climate. In 
places it is broken by a series of liills, and it is 
covered wit^i high grass, bush, and trees. 
The south-eastern parts, including New Scotland, 
are specially suitable for sheep-brjeding as well as 
for agriculture, the high central area for cuttle 
and corn, the northern and lower elevations for 
coffee and sugar plantations aud for tropical fruit 
