then be held by some one, while
the milking is going on; or the hair of its tuft be converted into a
double cord, to tie the tail to the animal's leg. Add to this the many
threats and scoldings uttered by the milker, and one gets a not very
exaggerated impression of the "breaking-in."

Some cows, no doubt, are very unaccomodating and provoking; but,
nevertheless, nothing but a rational course toward them, administered
with gentleness, will ever render them less so. There are cows which are
troublesome to milk for a few times after calving, that become quite
quiet for the remainder of the season; others will kick pertinaciously
at the first milking. In this last case the safest plan--instead of
hoppling, which only irritates--is for the dairymaid to thrust her head
against the flank of the cow, and while standing on her feet, stretch
her hands forward, get hold of the teats the best way she can, and send
the milk on the ground; and in this position it is out of the power of
the cow to hurt her. These ebullitions of feeling at the first milking
after calving, arise either from feeling pain in a tender state of the
teat, most probably from inflammation in the lining membrane of the
receptacle; or they may arise from titillation of the skin of the udder
and teat, which becomes the more sensible to the affection from a heat
which is wearing off.

At the age of two or three years the milking glands have not become
fully developed, and their largest development will depend very greatly
upon the management after the first calf. Cows should have, therefore,
the most milk-producing food; be treated with constant gentleness; never
struck, or spoken harshly to, but coaxed and caressed; and in
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, they will grow up gentle and quiet.
The hundredth had better be fatted and sent to the butcher. Harshness is
worse than useless. Be the cause of irritation what it may, one thing is
certain, that gentle discipline will overcome the most turbulent temper.
Nothing does so much to dry a cow up, especially a young cow, as the
senseless treatment to which she is too often subjected.

The longer the young cow, with her first and second calf, is made to
hold out, the more surely will this habit be fixed upon her. Stop
milking her four months before the next calf, and it will be difficult
to make her hold out to within four or six weeks of the time of calving
afterward. Induce her, if possible, by moist and succu