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Difference between Cohesion

and adhesion
Cohesion, in physics, the intermolecular
attractive force acting between two adjacent
portions of a substance, particularly of
a solid or liquid. It is this force that holds a piece
of matter together.
Intermolecular forces act also between two dissimilar
substances in contact, a phenomenon called adhesion.
The attractive forces of cohesion and adhesion act
over a short range and vary in magnitude,
depending on the substances concerned. If a
piece of glass is submerged in water and then
withdrawn, it will be weti.e., water will cling to it,
showing that the force of adhesion between water and glass molecules is greater
than the force of cohesion between water molecules.

Examples and Evidences

Mercury in a glass flask is a good example of the
effects of the ratio between cohesive and adhesive
forces. Because of its high cohesion and low adhesion
to the glass, mercury does not spread out to cover
the top of the flask, and if enough is placed in the
flask to cover the bottom, it exhibits a
strongly convex meniscus, whereas the meniscus of
water is concave. Mercury will not wet the glass,
unlike water and many other liquids, and if the glass
is tipped, it will 'roll' around inside.
Because the attractive force between the glass and
the water molecules (adhesion) is stronger than the
force attracting the water molecules together (cohesion), the water is pulled up the
side of the glass. Surface tension also plays a part. Because the surface tension of
the water is trying to hold the water together, a smooth curve is formed around the
edge. This concaved edge is the balance between the two forces.

References:

http://www.portageenv.com/community/pp/milk
.aspx
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/12
4597/cohesion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohesion_(chemistr
y)