3o6 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo May, 1911, 



machine and hand milking. Either method may be bad and both methods 

 may be good. If kept scrupulously clean, the machine has an advantage 

 over hand milking, as it conveys the milk under protection of the tubes 

 from the udder of the cow to the covered receiving bucket ; thereby re- 

 moving all risk of its being contaminated by flies, dust, or other dirt. 

 In order to be satisfactory, hand milking calls for unremitting care in 

 keeping the cows well groomed, and the milking shed and surroundings 

 free from accumulation of dirt of any description. It is impossible to 

 keep cattle in a perfect state of cleanliness in all weathers and at all 

 seasons. This is universally recognised ; and therefore those milking 

 conditions that were the best possible under existing circumstances have 

 in the past been considered satisfactory. With the improvements that 

 have been made of recent years in milking machines, they have reached 

 a standard of efficiency that has brought them into fairly general use in- 

 many districts; partiriilarlv where the srarrity of labour had previously 



\ICTORIA DAIRY 



KlLt)A}. 



been a hindrance to dairying. With their use the standard of cleanliness- 

 in milking has been raised much above what previously was the best. 



Distribution. 



Pursuing this subject of a perfect milk supply a little further we- 

 come to the item of city distribution ; and, apart from its expense, 

 nothing can at present equal the bottle system. A few firms are already 

 distributing milk by this method : and there are indications of the practice 

 becoming more general before long. In the outer suburbs, where the air 

 carries comparatively little dust, and the trade is in the hands of clean 

 and careful people, milk distribution by hand can and measure may be- 

 looked on as fairly satisfactory ; but in the city and more closely-populated 

 suburbs, and especially during the drier months, it must be conceded that 

 this system might well be improved on. Hand cans are opened and' 

 filled from the larger cans or floats in the dusty streets ; and are opened" 



