LABOR EEQUIEEMENTS AND MILKING MACHINES. 



17 



STAGE OF LACTATION PERIOD. 



When a cow's lactation period has so far advanced that she be- 

 comes a " stripper '' many farmers think that it is a waste of time to 

 put the milker on her. Hence it is a common practice to discontinue 

 using the milking machine on cows that are nearly dry and strip by 

 hand. In herds where most of the cows become nearly dry at one time 

 the use of the mechanical milker is often discontinued altogether for 

 a time until cows enough come in to enable the machine to be oper- 

 ated economically. 



Table YII. — Comparative efficiency of various comMnations of milking tmits 

 and operators in the operations of mechanical milkers. 



Number of operators i and niillking units. 



One-cow milker. 



Number 

 of farms. 



Minutes 

 per cow 



per 

 milking. 



Two-cow milker. 



Number 

 of farms. 



Minutes 

 per cow 



per 

 milking. 



1 operator, 

 1 operator, 



1 operator, 



2 operators 

 2 operators 



2 operators 



3 operators 



1 milker . . 



2 milkers.. 



3 milkers.. 

 , 2 milkers. 

 , 3 milkers. 

 , 4 milkers. 

 , 3 milkers. 



4 



3.65 



5.25 



5.2 



4.85 



5.3 



4.75 

 3.35 



1 The term " Number of operators ' ' as used in the above table means the number of men who either oper- 

 ate the machine or strip. 



EFFICIENCY OF MILKING COMBINATIONS. 



Of the different kinds of milking machines in common use about 

 half milk one cow at a time and the other half two cows at a time. 

 They are called, respectively, one and two unit outfits. Each has 

 certain advantages. 



Table VII was made by averaging the time taken to milk a cow by 

 the several combinations of milking units and operators most com- 

 monly used. This table indicates that the greatest speed in milking 

 is made when one man operates and strips after two double milking 

 units. • On farms where one man operates and strips after three units 

 the cows must be stripped hurriedly. Too rapid stripping is not de- 

 sirable when it is done at the expense of the thoroughness of the 

 work. 



There are various conditions, however, which will determine what 

 is the best combination to use in milking. The ability of the opera- 

 tors to chaijge the machines and attend to the cows, the readiness 

 with which the cows let down their milk, and the time required to 

 strip, all entor into the determination of the best milking combina- 

 tion. 



WASHI.NfiTO.N : (JOVKK.NME.NT I'lU .\TI .NC OI'FICE : 1916 



