Exhibited at Doncaster. 
857 
From here we drove to Newton Farm, where we called to see the 
Murchland milking machine at work. Mr. Speir, the tenant, re- 
ceived us very kindly, and under the direction of Mr. Murchland the 
cowman applied the machine easily to several cows, one after another, 
and it worked fairly well. One point of difference it had was that 
it was worked by the vacuum obtained from a column of water (as 
described on page 64.3 of the Journal for 1890). Otherwise the 
principle was the same, but the details of application were different. 
As the Murchland machine was not in competition with that shown 
at Doncaster, we abstain from further comparison. 
The chief defect in the Nicholson and Gray machine is the one 
we noted at Doncaster. The pulsation of the action upon the cows' 
tejits, answering to the partial opening and shutting of the hand in 
milking, is not powerful enough to keep tlie milk continuously 
flowing as the quantity in the udder diminishes. The inventors say 
they are adding an improvement which will effect this, and if this 
were done it would bring the machine near perfection. 
If a further improvement by which a little additional power to draw 
the milk quicker could be gained, without bearing liarder upon the 
udder or the system of the cow, this machine would be very complete. 
As it is, a little practice would bring it into more easy working, 
and we have not observed any injury done to cows that have 
been milked by it all the summer, nor do we see how injury could 
come. We think it is sufficiently developed for the dairy farmer to 
be advised to use it, and that after becoming familiar with its work- 
ing, he will not willingly relinquish its use. 
An efficient milking machine will supply a great and pressing 
want in dairy districts, as there is a universal cry of the rapidly 
increasing difficulty of getting good milkers. Although the Nichol- 
son and Gray machine is not so complete as we could desire, yet we 
think it fulhls the requirements laid down by the Society when 
issuing its prize-sheet, and we therefore advise that the prize of 20/. 
be awarded to the exhibitor as an encouragement and a stimulant to 
make it perfect.' 
R. Neville Grexville. 
November, 1891. Thomas Rigby. 
' This recommendation was confirmed by the Council at its Meeting held 
on November 4, 1891. — Ed. 
