242 The Trials of Milking Machines , 19134 
tube form well, and when allowed to cool on a flat table was quite 
straight and fit for service in a few minutes. 
We next tried a crushing strain on the cold tube by stepping 
on it in nailed boots ; this had practically no ill effects on it. 
The teat cups are entirely supported on the celluloid duct 
tubes which are led into the milk receptacle through rubber 
ring washers, the latter are air tight but allow of practically a 
universal motion of the cups including a telescopic motion thus 
allowing the cups room for adjustment to fit any cow. The 
tubes being transparent the attendant can at once see that all 
four quarters are milking properly, and by means of a tap, 
which is fitted to each tube where it leaves the cup, he can 
cease to operate any cup he may choose. 
Should the cups become detached from any cause, the 
resilience of the rubber washers and the slight spring of the 
tubes just allow the cups to drop clear of the teats and no more. 
The receptacle contains an ingenious device which, by means 
of a floating ball valve so arranged that it closes the mouth of 
the vacuum pipe when the receptacle is full, allows the cups to 
fall to the above limit automatically. This was exemplified on 
one occasion when the yield of milk from one cow exceeded 
the capacity of the receptacle. It should be mentioned that the 
machines exhibited were made for use in Sweden, where we 
understand cows are milked three times a day. 
We understand from the representative of the Omega Com- 
pany that they intend to fit a tap in the metal vacuum pipe just 
where it enters the lid of the receptacle, by means of which, 
after closing the taps on the teat cups, the vacuum will be 
preserved over the milk while the unit is being removed from 
the byre, thus ensuring that the milk has never come into con- 
tact with the outer air at any time. 
This will be of the utmost importance where careful 
scientific milk tests are being carried out. 
The Omega machine was tried on the most nervous and 
restive cow that could be obtained, a cow which was restive 
even when hand milked by its own attendant. The cow tried 
without success to dislodge the machine, and finally settled 
down quietly. 
The pulsator in this machine is of the duplex horizontal 
type, and is carried on the after end of the receptacle. The 
speed is easily regulated. 
The power required to work four of these machines is about 
1 H.P., with a vacuum of 14 to 15 inches of water. The price 
of four machines which are sufficient to milk a herd of fifty 
cows is 80£. 
Included in this price are four groups of teat cupk with their 
receptacles and pulsators, one vacuum pump, one air reservoir 
