MILKING MACHINES.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 37, 6 November 1894, Page 3

MILKING MACHINES.

(to the editor.)

Sir, —Having read your report from time to lime on the milking machines, and as it is of the greatest importance to the farming fraternity at present, there are one or two points I should like to refer to for a moment in your issue of 28rd October. I refer to MiBreach's opinion oa the machine, who has seen'it at work, and has made one or two observations that calls for some little comment. He said it would take the flow of milk from a cow in firstclass style but a slow stripper. Then, dwelling on Mr Breach’s opinion, any man, who has had practical experience ia milking, will agree with me when I say that the machine is undoubtedly a great success where it is at work. It will cost very little indeed to employ one man to do the stripping; he should strip a cow in two minutes. As there is only one system of stripping properly, and that is with fore finger and thumb, which must be forced into the but of the teat and force the milk down. To my idea it cannot be done perfectly either by the machine or the hand when used what we term “fullhanded,” as this is done by suction. As to Mr Breach’s opinion that it is necessary to obtain the sympathy of the cow, or, -in other words, a man’s disposition acts as a medium between him and the cow, in theory it looks well to the man who never milked a

cow, and no doubt would be tolerated •20 years ago, as such an idea belongs to an age that has passed away. The man who has to milk a cow in six minutes or 25 before 8 o’clock a.m., the same in the afternoon, which is a daily occurrence, would have very little time for suck ceremony, and # would indeed pronounce it a creaming farce. This recalls to my memory seeing in the Auckland weekly a man in the city milks one cow, all paper collar and cuffs ; he says a cow must be groomed before and after milking. It is deplorable, indeed if not painful, to place such reading matter as this # before any man of ordinary intelligence. As I said before a good milker will pump dry a cow in six minutes, therefore she has no time to find out whether he is black or white, or what countryman'. It is pleasing to know that Mr Breach is getting a machine, and some more farmers along the coast. Their practical experience and combined wisdom will point out its defects to those men who have labored - so hard to bring the milking machines to its present stage.—l am, &c., J.C. Upnnake, November 8, 1881.