324 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



Sterilizing with boiling water. — Utensils may also be steril- 

 ized by immersing in boiling water. This method requires a 

 tank large enough to acconmiodate the largest utensil if complete 

 sterilization is to be obtained. The utensils should be boiled for 

 five minutes. 



Care of cans. — The name of the owner should be painted on 

 the milk cans, or a durable tag, giving name and address, should 

 be securely fastened on the handle. Cardboard tags wear out 

 quickly and should be inspected before each trip. Tops should 

 be fastened on the can with heavy wire and locked with a pad- 

 lock, the producer and receiver each having a key. This will 

 prevent loss of covers and tampering with milk while on its way 

 to market. 



Cans which are rusty on the inside or from which the tin has 

 worn off can not be cleaned properly and should not be used for 

 shipping milk. 



THE MILKING MACHINE 



Economic value. — The main purpose of the milking machine 

 is to save time and labor. Where herds are large, much time 

 can often be saved by the use of the mechanical milker; also, 

 where labor is scarce it takes the place of one or more milkers. 

 On the other hand, where herds are small and labor is plentiful, 

 especially if there are a number of boys on the farm, a dair3^man 

 would probably find it cheaper to milk by hand. In view of 

 these facts it would be advisable for each dair>Tnan who is con- 

 sidering the installation of a milking machine to make a careful 

 anal3\sis of his own particular conditions before making the 

 investment. 



The relative cost of hand milking and machine milking is a 

 problem very difficult to work out, as these costs vary widely 

 not only in different sections but on different farms in the same 

 section. In general, however, herds of less than twenty cows 

 can be milked cheaper by hand than by machine. This is, of 

 course, not a hard and fast rule and does not mean that all herds 

 of less than twenty cows should be milked by hand. For instance, 

 one man living in a neighborhood where labor is scarce or high 

 in price and without the help of a family would very likely find 

 a mechanical milker economical. 



The labor question. — Aside from lessening the cost of milking 

 in large herds, the mechanical milker has a further advantage 

 in that it tends to make the dairyman less dependent upon hired 

 help. 



