LABOR REQUIREMENTS AND MILKING MACHINES. 15 
depreciation. The actual cost of milking a cow by the two methods 
is shown by Table VI. The tables indicate that a cow in a herd of 30 
cows or more can be milked more profitably by the mechanical milker 
than by hand. In the dairies of 15 cows or less the actual cost of 
hand milking is less than by machine milking. Table V, however, 
shows that the use of the machine eliminates the hiring of some help 
on these farms, as it permits the operator to milk alone a number 
of cows which he would require additional labor to milk by hand. 
Such a condition is found on farms where the operator has become 
physically unfit to milk, because of the weakening of muscles in his 
hands and wrists. Some farmers do not like to milk and prefer either 
to hire labor for this purpose or keep small dairies. The milking 
machine also assures the farmer of being able to do the milking in 
case of sickness among his working hands or if any of them should 
leave. In this way it makes the dairyman less dependent upon hired 
help. 
EFFECT ON COWS. 
Tests conducted by various State experimental stations show that 
practically the same milk yields were secured from cows whether 
they were machine milked or hand milked. 1 The bulletins reporting 
these experiments, however, emphasize the fact that when the me- 
chanical milker is successfully operated it must be in the hands of 
a competent man, and that stripping after the machine is absolutely 
essential if satisfactory results are to be obtained. Information ob- 
tained in this study substantiates these statements. 
A reasonable amount of care and intelligence must oe exercised 
by the operator if good results are to be expected. It is not a good 
plan for the operator to attach a milking unit to a cow and go away 
while it is in operation. When the milker has drawn all the milk 
that will be given freely by the cow it is a saving of time to remove 
it and place it on the next cow to be milked. S trippings can be 
drawn much more quickly by hand and with less chance of injury 
to the cow. Many users of milking machines are of the opinion that 
best results are obtained from them if certain of the milking force 
are assigned to operate and others strip after the machine. Strip- 
ping the cows after the machine is removed not only saves time 
but also affords opportunity for examining the udder. 
In order to ascertain the effect, if any, of the mechanical milkers 
on the milking qualities of cows in the dairies where they were used, 
two questions were asked the dairyman operating them. Following 
are these questions, with summaries of the answers received. 
1 Kentucky Exp. Sta. Bui. No. 186 ; New York Exp. Sta. Bui. No. 317 (Geneva) ; Wiscon- 
sin Exp. Sta. Bui. No. 173. 
