16 
BULLETIN" 423, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
(1) Has the use of the mechanical milker influenced the produc- 
tion of your herd ? 
There were 156 answer as follows : 
Xo difference. 
Less. 
More, if anything. 
124 
16 
16 
(2) Do you find that the machine has magnified or lessened 
sore teats, spider in the teats, garget, milk fever, and other udder 
troubles ? 
There were 129 answers as follows: 
Xo difference. 
Less trouble from More trouble from 
udder diseases. udder diseases. 
110 
11 8 
1 
Thus it appears that the majority of the farmers visited believe 
that the milking machine has no effect one way or another in the 
general welfare of the herd. These figures are given merely as in- 
dicative of the trend of opinion among farmers; they are not to be 
taken as conclusive. A conclusive answer to these questions could 
be given only after a careful and comprehensive study. 
EFFECT OF AGE OF COW ON EFFICIENCY OF MACHINE MILKING. 
The readiness with which a herd of cows becomes accustomed to the 
milking machine depends upon several factors, the most important 
of which is the age of the animals. It is the general experience of 
farmers that young cows which are broken in to milk with the me- 
chanical milker take to it more readily than older ones which have 
become accustomed to hand milking. They become used to it in 
a shorter time and milk out cleaner than older cows. Many young 
cows are difficult to milk by hand on account of their short teats. 
Short-teated cows and "hard milkers" are as easily milked by the 
machine as any others. 
A herd which has been roughiy treated becomes nervous and will 
not be broken in to the milking machine as readily as one which has 
been handled more gently. Some old cows never will become accus- 
tomed to the milking machine so as to be milked satisfactorily by it. 
It is best to milk such cows by hand or to sell them. On the other 
hand, cows averse to hand milking have been milked with good 
results bv the mechanical milker. 
