MURCHLAND MILKING MACHINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1945, 4 June 1891, Page 7

MURCHLAND MILKING MACHINE.

Some time ago your correspondent in Ayrshire, jwbo had been to Bee the Murohland milking machine, gave you (writes a correspondent in the Irish Farmers' Gazette) a short account of its details of working. Almost a year has now elapsed since it was first fitted up at Haining Mains farm, by Kilmamook, on the Duke of Portland's estate, for, experimental purposes, and it has there been submitted to the test of milking the herd since February last to the end of the season.

From the very first Mr Murchland satisfied himself that his maohine would effectually draw the milk from the uddet, but it naturally occurred to him that he would never be able to oonvince anyone else of its effectiveness unless he was able to show Borne proof. Though this farm is situated in the heart of the Scottish dairy industry, no register had ever been kept of the yield of milk of each particular cow. It was for this reason Mr Murchland set apart 12 cows, six of whioh were to be hand-milked, the other Bix to be machine-milked, and the register kept of eaoh animal's yield. The result of this register over a period of three weeks waa that the hand-milked cowb gave an average yield of 24 6-71b, while the machinemilked six averaged 24 3 71b, and during another period of two weeks the hand-milked ones gave a daily average of 24 3 71b eaoh, and the maohine-milked six an average of 24 4-71b.

Great numbers of people of all olaßsea and both sexes have been to see the machine at work, and expressed themselves pleased with its simplicity of gear and working, but seem to question whether it milks the cow dry. This* is oertainly the all-important question, and from the figures given above it may be safely answered in the affirmative.

But something moie than that is required from a machine whioh is to take the' place of hand-milking. It must be shown that it does not cause pain or any abnormal- aotion whioh might affeofc the udder, and that it doea not diminish the animal's yield of milk. From the fact that after six months' contiguous subjection to the machine the animals show no signs of injury, and evidently suffer no pain, and show no falling off in the yield of milk, one would think that natural lawa were being prettly cloaely followed up ; and the truth of this becomes all the more apparent when the mode of aotion of the aalf, maohine, and hand are considered. The calf draws the milk by gentle Buotion, caused by closed lipa and the tongue. In the case of the maohine a vacuum is produced in the teat cup by means of the air pump, and the difference of pressure on the udder and at the end of the teat oauaes the milk to flow. Where the hand is vied suction is not the motive power. By firmly grasping the teat at the root, and foroipg downwards any milk it contains, then easing the grasp, allow more milk to gravitate into the teat, and bo on till the udder is emptied. Where the calf is the operator there ia none of this squeezing and pulling — the gentle already spoken of is steadily maintained, the teat being aubjeot to the soft mucous membrane of the mouth instead of the rough and not always clean hands of the person milking. Here the teat cup follows closely on natural methods. The teat cup is so arranged that the free end is surrounded with milk, the root alone being held firmly by the indiarubber hand at the mouth of the cup. There is only one point in whioh the maohine, and for that part the hand, fallß short of Nature, and that ia in the occasional violent tossing up of its dam's udder, indulged in by the sucking calf, which aotion iB especially noticeable in the case of the sucking lamb. Whatever the reason may be, Mr Murchland has not thought fit to try and imitate it. There is not much in the apparatus; heie described to make the initial cost at all prohibitive. The fixings are of ordinary metal, easily adapted to any sort of building, and not likely to need r enewal for many yearß. The pails, with their accessories, form the most expensive item. One boy iB able to maintain the necessary vacuum for the milking of bix oowb at the same time, while three girls oan keep eight or nine pails going from cow to oow, and in this way a large number of animals can be dealt with.

Now that the machine has proved a success, its adoption will prove a boon to agriculturists, to oows, and to the public at large. It will save labour, it will avoid causing the exoruoiating pains wbioh cows with inflamed teatß have, under the present circumstances, to undergo, and it will ensure cleanlinees of the milk, itself a point a good deal overlooked at the present day. This new milking machine only requires to be seen in operation to demonstrate to practical men its feasibility.