JN^EW York Agricultural Experiment Station. 857 



As will be seen, this method of handling the data throws the 

 balance toward machine milking, but again the difference is too 

 slight to have any meaning, since it is less than 1 per ct. of the 

 whole yield. In other words, the effect of milking upon the pro- 

 ductivity of the cows is less than the normal fluctuation in yield 

 from year to year due to such marked variation in yield of indi- 

 vidual cows as might occur in any herd of considerable size. Of 

 four -cows milked by machine in 1906-'7 and again in 1907-8 

 after division of the herd, one showed a change of 1,000 pounds 

 in flow the second year, and another a change of 1,500 pounds; 

 while data from Maine Station reports show a change of 5.6 per 

 ct. in yield of a herd of 13 cows in successive years, and similar 

 data from Wisconsin from a herd of 27 cows show a change of 

 more than 1 per ct. 



From this work, then, extending over five 

 . years and including a large number of lacta- 



... . , tion periods, the only conclusion possible to 



milking does not , • .i ' i • -m • -r -, 



draw IS that machine milking, ii properly 



done, does not influence the flow of milk to 



any extent capable of measurement. Of 

 course, poor management of the machines and careless handling 

 might bring down yields ; but so also a careless, inefiicient hand 

 milker may " dry off " a good cow in a few weeks. 



It is undoubtedly true that not every good 



Experts not hand milker would be able to handle a 



necessary machine with equal success ; but no remark- 



for milkers. able qualities are necessary for efficient 



machine management. During the tests of 

 the B-L-K machines at the Station, six men have run them for 

 periods varying from three months to three years and none of 

 them has failed to do fairly satisfactory work with the milkers. 

 These men probably represent fairly well the better class of farm 

 workmen; and none of them was selected for any special ability 

 to operate machinery. The essential qualities in running a milk- 

 ing machine are merely carefulness, willingness to follow instruc- 

 tions and reasonable intelligence. 



