17 



advanced in lactation, which apparently was affecting- the milk flow. The 

 most marked effect in the case of these two cows appears to have been 

 on the percentag-e of fat. No. 106 tested 2.j per cent, fat for the two 

 weeks in July when milked with the machine. During- August, when 

 hand milked, her monthly composite test was 4.2 per cent, fat, or an 

 increase of 1.5 as compared with the previous month. No. 107 tested 

 4.0 per cent, for July and 4.5 per cent, fat for August. (In both cases, 

 samples were not taken for testing during the latter part of July when 

 milked by hand.) No. 107 continued milking to the end of September 

 and 106 to the end of November. In both cases they would likely have 

 dried much sooner had they been continued on the machine. However, 

 this is a point very difficult to determine, as it is almost impossible to 

 say that a cow would, or would not, have dried up at any particular time 

 had conditions Tjeen other than they were. 



Cleaning the Machines. 



One of the questions frequently asked is the following : "Are the 

 machines difficult to keep clean?" We may answer. this, "Yes" and 

 "No." To keep the machines bacteriologically clean is somewhat dif- 

 ficult ; to keep them ordinarily clean is not so difficult. We give the 

 directions of the manufacturers, and if this were sufficient it would be 

 comparatively simple to keep the machines clean. However, this is not 

 sufficient to keep the machines ordinarily clean. The parts of the machine 

 which come in contact with the milk have to be boiled at least once a 

 week, and all the various tubes have to be thoroughly cleaned with 

 brushes made for the purpose. To obtain sanitary milk or milk with a 

 low bacterial content, boiling and special cleansing should be practised 

 daily. As a rule, this means too much labor for the average farmer, and 

 could be followed with profit only on special dairy farms where the milk 

 is sold for an extra price. 



The directions sent us by the manufacturers for cleaning- are : — 



1. "As soon as the milking has been completed, and before the milk has 

 had a chance to dry in the cups or tubes, a supply first of cold and then after- 

 wards hot water should be provided. The bottoms of the machines should 

 be rinsed off with cold water. After this each machine should be placed on 

 top of the milk pail and connected with the vacuum pipe. With the machine 

 running at regular speed and the cocks turned off, hold both sets of teat 

 cups in the cold water and turn on the milk cocks. The water is drawn 

 through the teat cups, and through the rubber tubes, rinsing out all the pas- 

 sages through which the milk has passed. As soon as the cups and tubes are 

 thoroughly rinsed with cold water, hot water in which sal soda has been dis- 

 solved (2 heaping tablespoonfuls to each pail of water) should be sucked 

 through the teat cups and machines. All should then be rinsed with fresh, 

 boiling hot water; also, last of all, the bottoms of the pulsators should be 

 thoroughly washed with the hot water. With each milker equipment there 

 is furnished a small brush with long wire handle ; this may be used to scrub 

 ^ut the rubber tubes when necessary." 



Note. — Never run Hot Water through the machine and pipes until cool 

 water has first been used. Otherwise, the milk will be cooked onto the surface 

 of the teat cups and tubes. 



2 bull. 159 



