The Thistle Milking Machine.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 225, 30 October 1896, Page 3

The Thistle Milking Machine.

A representative of the Weekly Record laid a visit on the 22nd inst. to the farm of Mr W. T. West, on the Tariki Road, where he inspected the first Thistle milking machine imported into this colony. Mr West had completed, or rather, the machine had completed, the morning's milking, and our reporter was unable to see the working of this mechanical milker to the fullest advantage, although a practical demonstration of its capabilities in a minor degree was shown him by Mr Bilsland, export for the Thistle Mechanical Milking Machine Company, Glasgow, who kindly supplied us with all necessary information.

The special feature of the machine is the means by which the intermittent suction is obtained. In order to effect this, two valves are fitted on the communicating pipe from the container, each alternately actuated through gearing and levers from the crank shaft of the air pump. One valve, when open, establishes a vacuum connection between the vacuum container and the milking apparatus, the other opeus a free air. inlet to the pipes between it and the milking apparatus, thereby partially destroying the vacuum in that part of the machine, producing a variation of vacuum from 4£ to 15 inches. Each milk-can haft two compartments, into the upper of which the various pipes lead, and from which the milk flows into the lower receptacle through a small hole, which is covered and closed by an indiarnbber, ball, forming a ball valve, which opens and shuts at each pulsation ,and allows the milk to escape in the lower can.

When the engine is started the air is exhausted from the pipes, and when connection is made by opening the stop-cock from the cans also. The udder is then moistened and the teat cups put in place. Immediately they attaoh themselves to the udder, 'and the milk begins to flow in an intermittent stream, caused by the pulsating action of the teat-cups, contracting and expanding under the influence of the air pomp. The- teat-cups are made of stout indiarubber, reduced in thickness on two opposite sides and also at the upper part, where they are in contact with the udder. The lower vacuum of 4£ inches is sufficient to hold the thin upper pbrtion of the cups expand, to be in turn compressed during the period of increased vacuum. As fchis contraction proceeds downwards it presses the teat with a downward motion somewhat similar to the action of a full-handed milker, squeezing as well as sucking the milk out. A cow is usually cloan milked in from three to five minutes. The time taken to milk the whole ten oows was, in one trial, twelve and a half minutes from the affixing of the first teat-cup, one man only being in attendance,, putting on the teat-cups and looking after the milk cans. The glass lid on each can enables the attendant to see when a cow has finished, and then; by simply turning a stop-cook, the teat-cups fall off and the can may bo removed. Apparently the operation has no effect whatever upon the oow if the milk is allowed to proceed after the milk ceases to flow, as she continues to chew the cud in utter indifference all the same. The quantity of milk taken in the trial referred to was 19 gallons, and only 2$ pints of " strippings " were found in the whole ten cows when tried by hand aftewards. Previous efforts have been made to extract the milk from a ccw's udder by suction, and to a certain extent some of these were successful, but, as may be readi'y imagined, they failed with many cows. The machine under notice differs from its predecessors in providing, most ingeniously, an intermittent suction, imitating, as far as possible, the action of a calf's mouth. It is curious to note the quiet behaviour of the cows, which stand chewing the cud with perfect iudifference. In public trials at Home the animals were picked and trained, and as such might be looked on as not affording a fair trial. This, at least, occurred to one of the judges, who therefore sent for four of the hardest milking cows procurable from a local herd. On arrival two of these strangers were found to be kickers, even when under ordinary treatment, and this, of course, added interest to the trial. ' . '' y

The two quiet ones stood as if they had been used to the machine all their lives ; the third shuffled and kicked once or twice, and then settled down quietly ; whilst the fourth would have none of it, and could not bo milked. Unfortunately, in addition to being hard to milk and wicked iu temper, she had big bottle-shaped teats which were too large for any of the ordinary sized teat-cups on hand, and which, no doubt, had something to do with the unfortunate result.

With the other three, however, the trial was most satisfactory, as- they were quickly and thoroughly milked; but one can easily imagine how any self-respecting cow, with rather more than the ordinary share of imagination, might object, on principle, to have her teats tugged at by a hydraheaded monster, using 40 mouths at once, and like the " Laidly-worm," in the gruesome Northumbrian legend, taking ten cows milk to breakfast. The engine used in connection with the machine is of the ordinary portable type, driving the vacuum pump by means of belting. As any other type of motor might equally well be used, the apparatus may more correctly be described as commencing at the vacuum-pump. The vacuum-pump is an ordinary single acting exhaust pump, running at about 67 revolutions per minute, exhausting the air from a large container, pipes from

which are connected with ilie miiki g apparatus. Experiments were first started wi ti the machine, whi-jh is.the invention' of Alexander Shields, M. 8., C.M., B.Sc, five years ago, ami it was thoroughly tested before being placed on the market. It has Obtained all the chief awards at Home as the best and most approved invention in dairying appliances. The milker was awarded the only medal given by the Royal Agricultural Society of England in 1895, and also gained a similar honor in Dublin in the same year, as well as numerous other awards in Great Britain. It has proved very successful in Denmark and Sweden, the company having disposed of £400,000 worth of machines ia those countries. The machine on Mr West's farm is driven by water power obtained from an excellent stream running through his property, and that gentleman is confident that he could milk all the cows in the vicinity of Tariki Road with ease and alacrity. Taranaki has the honor of being the first place in the colony in which the machine has been fitted up, and Mr Bilsland has not the slightest doubt that it will soon be in general use, not only in Taranaki, but throughout the colony. Mr West commenced milking on Tuesday night, the 20th instant. The result was most satisfactory, only one out of the 80 cows milked attempting to kick. Three cows never stopped chewing their cud, and the same quantity of milk was obtained as usual. On Saturday last the machine again worked splendidly,' and the cows are " taking to it " kindly.