The operation of milking should, if possible, always be performed by the
same person, and in the most gentle manner; the violent tugging at the
teats by an inexperienced hand is apt to make the animal irritable and
uneasy during the operation, and unwilling to be milked. Many of the
diseases of the teats and udder can be traced to violence done to the
parts under the operation of milking. Young animals are often unwilling
to be milked: here a little patience and kindness will perform wonders.
It is not the quantity of milk that gives value to the dairy cow; for
the milk of one good cow will make more butter than that of two poor
ones, each giving the same quantity of milk. Its most abundant
principles are cream, caseous matter or curd, and whey. In these are
also contained a saccharine matter, (sugar of milk,) muriate and
phosphate of potassa, phosphate of lime, acetic acid, acetate of
potassa, and a trace of acetate of iron. The three principal
constituents (cream, curd, and whey) can easily be separated: thus the
cream rises to the surface, and the curd and whey will separate if the
milk becomes sour, or a little rennet is poured into it. When milk is
intended to be made into cheese, no part of the cream should be
separated. Good cheese is, consequently, rarely produced in those
dairies where much butter is made; the former being robbed for the sake
of the latter.
Sir J. Sinclair says, "If a few spoonfuls of milk are left in the udder
of the cow at milking; if any of the implements used in the dairy are
allowed to be tainted by neglect; if the dairy-house be kept dirty, or
out of order; if the milk is either too hot or too cold at coagulation;
if too much or too little rennet is put into the milk; if the whey is
not speedily taken off; if too much or too little salt is applied; if
butter is too slowly or too hastily churned; or if other minute
attentions are neglected, the milk will be in a great measure lost. If
these nice operations occurred once a month, or once a week, they might
be easily guarded against; but as they require to be observed during
every stage of the process, and almost every hour of the day, the most
vigilant attention must be kept up during the whole season."