Cost of Manual Labour in Milk Production. 



[Aug., 



labour question on the farm. Attention was first paid to an old 

 set of buildings which were at small expense adapted for use 

 as a root house, cake house and straw chamber. Trolley lines 

 were laid down in concrete made on the premises, along which 

 the chopped roots, broken cake, meal mash and chop could be 

 wheeled direct to the byre. The trolleys, substantially made, 

 after the fashion of those used in the coal mines, were made on 

 the premises under supervision. In 1916 a new byre with fittings 

 and stalls for 40 cows was erected. It is fitted with a very 

 efficient system of ventilation, the cows stand tail to tail, the 

 trolley lines lead direct from the buildings beyond into each 

 feeding passage of the byre, and the manure can be easily and 

 readily got rid of by means of an overhead trolley system, lead- 

 ing to a small covered yard well away from the byre. From the 

 byre there is a gentle slope down so that the full trolley is 

 carried to the covered yard almost by its own weight, automatic- 

 ally empties itself and can, when required, be pushed back 

 empty to the byre, with very little trouble. The trolley can be 

 lowered by means of a chain lever for filling and again raised to 

 any convenient height when sent to empty itself. Each cow 

 has its own separate stall provided with simple and ingenious 

 devices for preventing the cow from stealing her neighbour's 

 cake, for automatically supplying herself with a constant supply 

 of fresh drinking water, and for making it easy for her to be 

 quickly and securely fastened, while yet leaving her sufficient 

 freedom of movement. 



A high standard of cleanliness is maintained; the milk pro- 

 duced is Grade A; and an extra 4d. a gallon over and above 

 the varying local price is always paid for all milk coming from 

 the herd. 



A milking machine, the A mo, has been in use for five years 

 and is found to work very satisfactorily, great care being taken to 

 keep it scrupulously clean. Leading from the byre is a small 

 room fitted with a weighing dial for recording the individual 

 milk yields; after weighing the milk is poured into a hopper 

 and passes directly into the receiver and cooler on the other 

 side of the partition ; the 17-gallon milk churns stand on a small 

 weigh-brid^e so that the total weight of milk sent out can be 

 quickly and readily obtained. By these means also the milk is 

 quickly removed from any possible source of contamination in 

 the byre and under such conditions should leave the steading in 

 a very " clean " condition. 



