In Mooney viscosity measurement, the notation \( \text{ML(1+4)} \) indicates that the rubber sample is measured in the Mooney viscometer after 1 minute of preheating and 4 minutes of measurement. The number 4 signifies the time in minutes after starting the motor when the measurement is taken.
Therefore, the number 4 refers to the time the sample has been subjected to shear after the motor starts, and is not related to the applied shear rate or the number of samples.
Thus, the correct answer is C.