CLEANLINESS AND DAIRYING.

Southland Times, Issue 17293, 13 March 1913, Page 2

CLEANLINESS AND DAIRYING.

/ ~ To the Editor. Sir, —In your issue of to-day I notice an article by Mr J. R. Scott on the uncleanliness of our dairy produce, and he attributes it to milking machines. I have been connected with milking more or less all my life, and I must say that I have seen more dirt in hand milking than ever I saw in machine milking. I have used machines for three seasons now. and my milk has been -used for starter purposes at the factory. I have nohesitation in saying . that machine milking is much the cleaner if the machines are kept clean, which can be easily done with a certain amount of care. The trouble lies in the farmer being In a hurry to get away to die factory, and the machines are left unwashed very often where the sun can get on them, and the milk sours in the tubes. It takes a lot of work to sweeten them up again—more than is put on them as a rule. If the farmer would only go to the trouble to pull cold water through his machines when he is finished milking be could then leave them for a time, until lie could wash them up properly. Milking machines are hero to stay, and without them half the farmers supplying milk to the factories couldn't do so, if they had to find labour for hand milking. I think the only remedy lies with the Government, not with the factories, although Mr Scott suggests inspectors found by the different factories, whose duties would be to inspect the machines, etc., and also fill in time taking the tests. Of course that would be of great benefit to the manager, as his lot is by no means a happy one when the tests don’t come up to expectations. But I think, and have always maintained, that the Government should have inspectors for Southland, whose duties would be to visit the farmers who have milking plants, and instruct them as to the use and not abuse of machines. I don’t think one-half of the farmers who use machines really know where to go to find trouble and dirt In them. I know of some men who have machines, and have had them for years, and tlie only cleaning they get is a little cold water and then hot pulled through them, and then they are thrown into lime water that lias not been renewed for weeks. How can that tend to improve the quality of the milk that runs through tubes in that condition. It is men of that sort who get machines a bad name. Now. Sir, I must apologise for taking up so much space, but this is a matter I am greatly Interested in. and it affects one of our largest productions to such an extent that the more publicity we can give the matter, so long as It is in the right direction, Hie better it will be for all concerned. —I am. etc.. DAIRY FARMER.