852 Popular Editions of Station Bulletins of the 



defect in milking machines first on the market. The first machine 

 tested at this Station, the Globe, could not be kept clean easily, 

 which, with other faults, condemned it; and with the earlier types 

 of the milker now in use, the Burrell-Lawrence-Kennedy, much 

 care was necessary in order to secure clean milk. With the im- 

 proved forms of this milker, however, as shown by repeated care- 

 ful tests announced in Bulletin 317 of this Station, there need be 

 no difiiculty in keeping the counts of bacteria as low as in ordinary 

 hand milking. 



The precautions necessary in securing clean milk with the im- 

 proved forai of this milker are few: 



(1) Those parts of the machine through which the milk passes 

 must be rinsed thoroughly after each milking, using in succession 

 cold water, hot sal-soda solution or similar cleansing material, and 

 hot water; and the teat cups and rubber tubes must be kept, be- 

 tween milkings, in a strong brine solution (10' per ct.) or simi- 

 lar germ destroyer. Once a week all parts of the machine touch- 

 ing the milk should be thoroughly washed and steamed. 



(2) The ample, but few and simple, air-filters must be kept 

 we'll filled with fresh, dry cotton tc prevent entrance into the 

 machine of germ-laden dust. 



(3) Dropping teat-cups on the floor or any similar carelessnesfi 

 in handling the machine must be avoided, since such accidentfi 

 produce marked increases in the bacterial counts of the milk. 



Milking-machine studies at colleges or sta- 

 Previous tions began as long ago as 1895 and since that 



studies of effect time ten or twelve tests have been reported in 

 on flow. udiich direct or indirect data were secured 



relative to the effect of the machines on milk 

 flow. On the whole, the differences in quantity of milk produced 

 by machine milking and hand milking were not great. In these 

 tests, in many cases the numbers of cows were small ; in others the 

 periods were short so that it was impossible to say whether any 

 shrinkage shown was due to the character of the milking or 

 merely to a change in method; and in many instances the in- 

 fluences of advancing lactation were not properly balanced. Yet 

 the summarized conclusion which might have been drawn from 



