Breaking Heifers To Milking

Fryo, Jr., writes as fbllows to the Lew iston .hunud on this important subject : "All domestic animáis requiro som soit of traininp or cducation. ïhe ste may require move training thaa the hei er, 'bccause tho uses aro varied io V.v ho has to becomo accustomed to maké b labor " skilled " and practioable. Whil tho cow may not nccd to be schoolcd i these hijhcT branches of practical studu she. should be taught that to stand quiot lv whilé l)oin!i milkod, and to " hoiat" th Bght toot and place it back of tho othe irtues to be coramendnd and rewan: od (by kindness, ut least). No an i in: should be allowed to pass lts flirt wint without being thoroughly "halter bro&e, so that it can be led by the hora, or wit a rope around the neck, gently and poaco ably. Doing this when they aro youn and easily handled, it sa ves a vast amoun of subseqtient hard work and perploxity nnd. it may be, the animáis raany kick and blows. Thero is a great diiVerence i teaohers in this kind of science as well a in the four-footed pupils. Soine teacher I havo seen diil not evince hult' the sens of the cattle they undertook to train. O the other hand, there aro some animáis s perverso or non compot nn ntit that itseem almost impossible to teach the first rudi mrnts of good manners. But, oertainlj in niost cases there is nothing gaincd b letting them grow up in these uncout v;ivs, thinking to taku them in hand at later day. Train while yountj should b the motto of the barnyard. " Many an otherwise excellent milke is spoiled for life by harsh truatmeut. ] is better to govern by gontleness and kim tivatinent than by "harsh treatment ani foar of the miistcr. A heifor if well bro ken to the milk-paü, is theroby mad worth at least twenty-fivo por cent. ïiior - an increaso whii-h will pay for muc painstaking. The handling of the n-lilt and tlio process of milking isa very inus ual proceoding, and, inaddition, tlie li -;' are of ten tender, and the bitg caked anc infiamed so as to be painfol onder even th gentlest touch. How often in such a con dition frompain and-APprehndd dangi sho almost unconsciously lifts hot foei anc knóéks over the milkpail, Bnd pernap hits a well-desorved " thwack " upon th shins of the bungler upon tho millón stool, and then kicks and bruises aro free ly interchanged between the frightcnec bruto and the irritated master. "Fiist teach all your animáis to lov rather thun fesr yon. I learn them to wel come your coming by presenta of a nub bin of corn, an apple, a little salt, etc., 01 all occasions when practicable. Handl them freely, and get them accustoinod to your touch by rubbing and scratohing them. Heifers thus aoousonted to bein handled will soon come to Beemingly lik the operation of niilking. I once liad a heifer that Erom having exceedingly sore teats oonteaoted the habit of ruimin away from me, when milked in the van before the milk was half down. All my endeavors to break up the habit faile till, as a last resoit, when 6ho startod to run, I caught up the pail with one hand and seized onc bind leg with the other, and held on ürmly. Alter liopping a few steps and some pretty severo kicks and' jerks to free herself, were made all to 110 purpose, slie "accepted the situation," and calmly submitted to the process till milked clean. ïwo or three such lessons cured hor entirely. Such usage would probably have frightened her and made the habit worae had she been unac(■uslumed to being petted and handled. But a few lessons gave her an understanding of what was requircd, and subsequenÜy any attemptofa repetition of the inisdemeanor would bo suddenly checkcd by merulyplacing my hand gently upon her leg. " It is very important that cows of any age ba milked clean ; but more especially should this bc practiced with heifers. One of the secrets of butter-making lies right here. I need not teil those that are u.-i to tho care of cows and dairying that the last diawn gill is aearly all cream, and when one of these little measures of milk is left in the udders of several cows, ae a pareless milkcr will often do, nb insignificant quantity of the richest milk is lost e very day. " But this is not all or perhaps the greatest loss. Leaving milk in the cow' bag has a most deleterious effect upon the cow. Undoubtedly roany cases of giirget might be traced to this neglect. And the habit, if persisted in any longth of tune, will cause a gradual faliing off in the niilk, and thü cow will bo very imlikcly to regain lier full niilking powers again. This matter is worth moro tlian a casual thought. Heifers, tho tirst year of thoir comiug into the dairy, should be entrusted to no inexperienced or carcluss milkers. A good milkcr will draw tho milk in silence and quickly. Ne ver allow yoursclf to leave a cow half milkod, and then return aml finish, tliinking to get tho full complement that the cow would give. ÏUis habit is nearly as bad us the one spoken of aboró, üiul its practico bringsabout the same results. By siu-h ineans heifers often contract tho habit of witüholding thoir milk ; a most perplexing habit and often not easily cured. A good milker will attend toliis work and draw the milk clean as quickly as possible and establish the habit of giving down freely - a valuable item in a young cow."