1 Jaw., 1902. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 25 
intimately connected with the nervous organisation of the animal, and that 
anything which disturbs her, or ruffles her temper, has an adverse action on the 
secreting power of the udder, whereby, if she is unduly excited in any way, the 
forming of the milk in the vesicles is greatly interfered with, and if bad 
treatment is persisted in the cow will prematurely go dry. 
Another point connected with the yield is the milking of the animal. Itis 
a job that must be done every day, morning and evening, week day and 
Sunday, without intermission. It is not work that one may get his mate to do 
for him for a time, and it is not work that can be left over till next week. It 
must be done at a certain hour every day, or disastrous results will ensue, and, 
indeed, the milking of the cows is the greatest limitation connected with a 
dairy farm. Good milking should be quick; in fact, quick milking is always 
good milking. It has been shown by experiment that quick milking will not 
only extract more milk from the udder, but the milk will be of better quality 
than that obtained by slow, drawling work. 
There are practically four different ways of milking a cow— the tugging 
versus the squeezing, and the wet versus the dry. The cow with strong, large 
teats may stand the strain put on her by the tuggers, but not those with 
delicate sore teats, and in any case it is a most objectionable system. The gentle 
squeezing, which never injures a sore teat, and permits the cow to chew her cud 
all the time, is the one to encourage. Some have advocated dry milking, but I do 
not think it very comfortable for either cow or attendant. Naturally, a calf 
sucks with a wet mouth, and it is a great deal easier to milk with a wet teat, 
and more comfortable for the cow. Squeezing with a wet hand is the best 
method to adopt. Of course the cow must be milked out clean every time, 
and, better still, “ stripped.” 
Immediately connected with the formation of the milk is the temperature 
and general comfort of the animals. If they are too cold in winter, or 
too hot in summer, it operates against the milk yield, and therefore the 
arrangements of the buildings should be of such a nature to as far as possible 
keep the temperature comfortable. In summer the hot winds are much against 
the cows; therefore plantations are very necessary, which conduce very much 
to their comfort. 
It is a very good thing in summer to wash their backs over with a concoc- 
tion of sheep dip, as this tends to keep away the flies, which torment them so. 
Even a watering-can filled with water, to which a little sheep-dip is added, 
and the mixture sprinkled over their backs as they stand in their stalls will 
be most beneficial, and the trouble is not very great. 
MOTTLED BUTTER. 
For some four years past the Maryland Experiment Station has been 
investigating the cause of that uneven colouring in some butters which is 
generally spoken of as mottling, and has discovered the cause to be due to the 
uneven distribution of the salt. Popularly, mottles are supposed to be caused 
by (1) washing the butter in too cold a water, and (2) by excess of caseine. 
It is, however, shown that washing the butter with water below 40 degrees 
Fahr. does not cause mottles, but when it is used more working is necessary in 
order to distribute the salt evenly. It is also shown that the light-coloured 
streaks are not caused by an excess of caseine, but by the physical action of 
the excess of salt on the butter fat itself. This action causes more light to be 
admitted to that portion of the butter, and itis the light that causes the dis- 
colouration. The only way to prevent mottles is to work the butter so as to 
distribute the salt thoroughly ; while, so far as cold water is concerned, its use 
is entirely beneficial. It maintains the texture of the grain, and gives the 
butter a very desirable firmness. But with it the working must be more 
thorough. 
