MILKING MACHINES 321 



sometimes used, but not often successfully, when a cord 

 forms at the neck of the teat, through the contraction or 

 growing up of the milk diaphragm usually the result of 

 suppuration. Sore teats should be well smeared, to soften 

 them before milking, with vaseline or hog's lard, and after the 

 operation dressed with carbolic oil, or a lotion of Goulard's 

 extract two parts, olive oil one part, and glycerine one part. 

 If the skin of a teat is very tender the milk may be with- 

 drawn for a few days by a silver milking-tube or syphon, 

 while the sound teats are being milked. A piece of red 

 yarn or tape ought to be tied to the tube to prevent its being 

 lost if dropped among the litter. 



Milking machines have been greatly improved in recent 

 years, but it can hardly be said that the combined sucking 

 and boxing action of the calf, which encourages milk-secre- 

 tion, has been perfectly imitated, or that they give better 



FIG. 15. The Jersey Creamery Co.'s Self- Acting Cow-Milker. Price 6s. 6d. 



results than are obtained by expert hand-milking. But 

 mechanical-milkers have not to be pitted against experts, 

 but against careless or unskilled and over-paid hand-milkers 

 who are not to be found in sufficient numbers in this country 

 to supply the increasing demand for milkers. In Australia, 

 where labour difficulties are still more acute, the milking- 

 machine is already thoroughly established. In New South 

 Wales in 1905, over 10,000 cows were milked by mechanical 

 means. 



There are many varieties of milking machines, but in 

 the mechanism of the most successful of them one or other 

 of two principles is usually adopted. In the case of the first, 

 the milk flows by gravitation through perforated syphons 



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