THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
846 
1008. 
DISCUSSION OF THE MILKING MACHINE. 
I find, in talking with my fellow dairy¬ 
men, a considerable amount of prejudice 
exists, which, in my judgment, is 
founded upon misunderstanding, misin¬ 
formation and ignorance of the actual 
facts. At the outset I was somewhat 
apprehensive on the score of absolute 
cleanliness, thinking that parts of the 
milker being made of rubber, it would 
materially hinder such parts—particu¬ 
larly rubber tubing at least—from being 
properly cleansed. As I believe in the 
principal that “cleanliness is next to 
godliness,” I will here give the method 
of caring for the above-mentioned parts. 
As is perhaps not generally known, the 
“B. L. K.” milker—which is the only 
kind I have had experience with—is 
operated by vacuum or suction, pro¬ 
duced by vacuum pump driven by 
power, and after the milking is done the 
teatcups and mouthpieces are immersed 
in cold water first to rinse off all milky 
substance, then in hot water with a little 
salsoda, and lastly in cold water again 
to rinse thoroughly (this all of course 
with suction still on), after which the 
rubber parts are all taken off and placed 
in a tank filled with water in which has 
been dissolved about two pounds of 
lime. This is a hot weather precaution 
to preserve the rubber, which has to be 
of the best quality, and is consequently 
expensive. The description of this 
operation may appear somewhat lengthy, 
but in reality it takes but about 10 min¬ 
utes. 
The next question is of practicability. 
After using the machine for two years 
in a dairy of 80 head where approxi¬ 
mately 50 cows are milked constantly 
I can state that from every standpoint 
I consider the machine a decided im¬ 
provement upon hand milking. My rea¬ 
sons are briefly these: 1 he force ex¬ 
erted is all gentleness, and absolutely 
uniform. The cows like it, as is evi¬ 
denced by their quiet behavior, and the 
fact that cows with scratched or sore 
teats are not uneasy. Cows that were 
inveterate kickers under hand milking, 
having to be strapped, are among the 
quietest with the machine, probably be¬ 
cause the machine imitates nature—the 
sucking calf. The milk procured is far 
cleaner than any hand milking, scarcely 
requiring the use of a strainer. Indeed, 
I know of a wealthy farmer producing 
milk for the New York market who 
strains all milk shipped, but takes milk 
direct from machine for his own family 
use. Economy of help; two experienced 
operators with two machines each have 
no difficulty in milking 50 cows in from 
V /2 to two hours, and in case of em¬ 
ergency one operator can handle the en¬ 
tire 50 and not be any the “worse for 
wear.” Certainly so much cannot be 
said in favor of hand milking. They are 
always “on the job,” never absent or 
unable to do business on the “day 
after;” never leave me in the lurch. On 
holidays “wife and I” are not the only 
milkers with a barn full of cows. Dura¬ 
bility; I have seen the statement made 
that the rubber mouthpieces are short¬ 
lived, needing to be replaced once in 
about 10 weeks. Such has not been my 
experience, for I have used the same 
mouthpieces for 18 months, and to all 
appearances they are good for a long 
time to come. All other parts of the 
machines are practically as good as 
when first purchased. Indeed they 
should be, as they are made of the very 
best material. 
Now for the other side of the ques¬ 
tion. First and most important comes 
the point of expense, which, with us 
farmers, is always a serious one. “First 
cost” deters many of us from securing 
decided improvements. And yet I know 
of more than one case, right here in 
Herkimer County, where owners of 
large dairy farms have sold off nearly, 
if not all, their cows simply because of 
the difficulty in securing reliable, de¬ 
pendable help, when by installing the 
milking machines with their own family 
help to operate it, they might have pre¬ 
vented what I call “farm suicide”—for 
with the other improved farm machinery 
the farmer is comparatively independ¬ 
ent. Perhaps a few figures as to the 
cost of installing the milker will not be 
amiss. Of necessity this will vary some¬ 
what, owing to locality and cost of 
labor, but generally speaking, a plant 
with power and machines complete for 
a dairy of 50 cows will approximate 
$700. I have read and heard the state¬ 
ment that the machine has a tendency to 
dry up the cows, but from my own ex¬ 
perience, I must say if such proved to 
be the case I believe it more the fault 
of the operator than of the machine, for 
we had great difficulty in drying up our 
purebred Holsteins before freshening. 
The fact is it requires a higher order of 
intelligence and fidelity than the aver¬ 
age farm hand possesses successfully to 
operate the milker. Consequently I am 
of the opinion that the greatest degree 
of success will be obtained where the 
operator has a proprietary interest in 
both cow and machine. This, however, 
presents no difficulty, as the machine 
seems to me to be designed to take the 
place of the unfaithful and incompetent, 
to enable the dairyman who loves his 
cows and his home to maintain them 
both with the aid of son or daughter. 
Nevertheless, I recently visited a farm 
where the milker has been in successful 
operation for more than a year, and 
where the operators were all hired men 
without particular interest, and yet they 
obtained splendid results and were en¬ 
thusiastic in their praise of the milking 
machine as a labor and dirt saver. 
f. r. w. 
SHEEP IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
New Hampshire is usually regarded as a 
region where the farms are set up on edge; 
but there is a strip along its short coast 
line, extending inland about a dozen miles, 
to which the characterization does not 
apply. It is a region where both soil and 
climate are especially suited to develop 
grass. The nearness to the ocean causes 
a higher mean temperature than in any 
other section of the State; hut with a lower 
maximum and a narrower range than else¬ 
where. The soil is either a sandy loam 
or a clay loam over most of the section, and 
lies upon bowlder clay or granite ledges. 
With abundant rainfall, old fields unplowed 
for a generation yield a ton and a half of 
fair mixed hay. Consequently farms that 
have been abandoned as homes are still 
held as investments, since the hay will pay 
the taxes, while the pastures quickly grow 
up to pine, which finds a ready market for 
box stock. The region is well suited to ani¬ 
mal husbandry of all kinds, and dairying or 
milk production has always been the leading 
branch of farming. The high prices of con¬ 
centrated feedstuff's and the increased string¬ 
ency of sanitary regulations is, however, 
creating much uneasiness among milk pro¬ 
ducers, and while the number of cows on 
the tax lists of this town has not decreased, 
there has been a marked increase in the 
numbers of sheep and poultry. This indi¬ 
cates that there is in part a transition and 
also a little more utilization of the resources 
of the farms. The increased interest in 
sheep-raising is clearly shown by the fact 
that while in 1895 and 1905 the number 
of sheep assessed in Durham was between 
170 and 180, last year the number rose to 
265. The opportunities for sheep could 
scarcely be improved, because the soil is a 
natural grass soil; there is very little laud 
that needs to be classed as waste land, and 
the surrounding country is the most pop¬ 
ulous! part of New England, with a steady 
demand for meats of all kinds. But little 
attention is being paid to breeding, and the 
quality of sheep is by no means what it 
might be, if some well-bred rams were in 
every flock. Damage by dogs is as usual a 
discouraging factor. Although New Hamp¬ 
shire statutes are quite severe on dogs, 
there were 29 sheep killed and injured in 
this town last year, which is over 10 per 
cent of the number of sheep assessed. The 
Agricultural Experiment Station is paying 
considerable attention to sheep husbandry 
and will soon be in a position to make its 
influence felt for better breeding. It is pay¬ 
ing especial attention to the production of 
early lambs and fine mutton sheep. While 
meat will undoubtedly be the prime object 
of the sheep farmer in this vicinity, wool 
should also find nearby markets, as Avoolen 
mills are scattered through the adjoining 
counties, and the enormous mill of the 
American Woolen Company is but 40 miles 
from here. v. w. m. 
OEillTOIEHESIKWiof's 
GUARANTEED 
Heave and Coueh Cure 
A Rernedj for Wind and Throat 
troubles. 25yeari in use proves ita 
worth for heaves and chronic 
»r cough. $1.00 per can. We also 
l** 1 **^ make a 50c can for Colds, Acute 
Coughs, Distemper, Worm Ex- 
peller. Blood Purifier and grand 
_____ * conditioner for horses badly 
run down, but it does not contain enough to cure heaves. All 
dealers or sent direct, express prepaid. Send for booklet. 
THE NEWTON REMEDY CO.,Toledo, Ohio 
This is the age of specialists— 
each man an expert in his line. 
Our specialty is building cream 
separators; and our years of ex¬ 
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TUBULAR 
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The Tubular is the acknowl¬ 
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clean, turn, oil and handle and 
because it skims clean —the trade 
mark guarantees it. 
For proofs, ask a Tubular user 
or, better still, try one. 
Free Catalog 153 tells how. 
Write for it. 
THE SHARPLES SEPARATOR CO., 
West Chester, Penna. 
Toronto, Can. San Francisco, Calif. Chicago, Ill. 
When you write advertisers mention Tina 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.’’ See guarantee, page 8. 
Get A NEW HOLLAND 
Feed Mill 
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The price is low 
but the mill is the 
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dealer. If he does 
not keep It, write 
us. Wo will give 
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One of them will just fit your ease. We want to 
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Adaptable to all kinds of power. Furnished v. lth 
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FREE TO YOU: 
Send us your name and address today so we can 
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Write us NOW. 
NEW HOLLAND MACHINE CO. 
Box 13 New Holland. Pa. 
1?T AD TTY A —'Want more farmers for best 
Jl LUBlliA County in State. Write for booklet 
containing description, county map 
and list of lands actually for sale. Address 
Buooksvillk BoabdOf Trade, Brooksvitle, Fla. 
YOUR OLD SEPARATOR TAKEN IN EXCHANGE 
SS NEW ECONOMY CHIEF 
Trade your old DeLaval, Sharpies, Empire, United States 
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SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO., CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 
w.. :, v- >■ 
Dairy 
Feed 
is the money-making feed for dairy¬ 
men. Rich in Protein, Fat and Carbohy¬ 
drates in correct proportion for heavy milk 
making. Feed Badger 15 days and the milk pail 
will tell a glad story. Our Free Feed Book is full 
of helpful hints and practical experiences of dairymen 
telling how they get best results from feeding, breeding, 
etc. Shows how to make more money out of yonr cows—and 
how to feed better at less cost. Write a postal for it. today. Bad¬ 
ger is sold by dealers. If yours can’t supply you write to ns. 
Chas. A. Krause Milling Co., Dept. lOO. Milwaukee, Wis. ^ 
‘SaveThe-Horse’SpavinGure. 
RCG*. TRADE _ MAP* 
Jos. Plots, • Bog Spevtn, • Cured 
Th cs. Ryan, • Bowed Tendon, •• 
W. Zaltskj, • Curb, - * •* 
J. Krepl!, • Bone Spavin, 
“WHAT ARE THE CRITICS GOING TO 
DO WITH THIS EVIDENCE? 
Cedar Rapids, I a., Aug.5,'OS—In this city to sum up tho cases, 
I give you the following: 
Rd. Koncgtoiark. • Bona Cvxtd 
J- Call. •* 
Mr. Merrill. •* •• 
Prank Kooecam&rk. “ ** V9 
The above are eight of the ten cases complete in their cures, 
not one dissatisfied with the reme<ly or with their guarantee. 
The other two—Mr. Lynch's horse is recovering rapidly, is 
gradually resting heels on the floor, lameness about gone. The 
Swift A Co. horse is improving as fast as can be expected. 
Pretty good record. What are the critics going to do with this 
ovidence? All the parties live here, are reliable and I can get 
you testimonials from any of the gentlemen. I must say my 
belief in your remedy is complete.—P.F.Dolan,care Fire Dept. 
C v AA a bottle, with legal written guarantee or contract. Send 
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trainers on every kind of case. Permanently cures Spavin. 
Thoroughpln, Kin-bone (except low). Curb, Splint, Capped 
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scar or loss of hair. Hone works as usual. DeaUr s *r Ex fires* 
Paid, troy Chemical Co., 24 Commercial Are.. Binghamtoq, &, ¥. 
SHOE BOILS 
Are Hard to Cure, 
yet 
will remove them and leave no 
blemish. Does not blister or re- _ 
move the hair. Cures any puff or swelling. Horse can 
be worked. $2.00 per bottle, delivered. Book 6-C Free. 
ABSORBING, JR, for mankind, gl.OO per 
Dottle. Cures Boils, Bruises, Old Sores, Swellings, 
Varicose Veins, Varicocele, Hydrocele. Allays Bain 
W.F.Young, P.D.F., 88 Monmouth St.. Springfield,Mass 
KENDALLS 
MINERAL. 
HEAVE 
REMEDY 
NEGLECT 
Will Ruin 
YourHorse' 
Send today for 
only 
PERMANENT 
SAFE 
CERTAIN* 
$3 PACKAGE ^ 
Will cure any case or 
money refunded. 
$1 PACKAGE 
cures ordinary cases. 
Postpaid on receipt of 
price. Agents Wanted. 
j9/ Write for descriptive booklet. 
The remedy that horsemen everywhere 
know to be effective in curing Spavin, 
Ringbone, Curb, Splint and all form* of 
Lameness. It may cost you a horse to 
experiment. Use the proven remedy. 
McGregor, Mich., Jan. 13,180S. 
Dr. B. J. Kendall Co., 
Enosburg Falls, Vt., 
Gentlemen:—Please send me a copy of yonr 
“Treatise on the Horse and Ills Diseases.” 
Have used Kendall’s Spavin Cure for 20 
years with the most wonderful results. 
Yours truly, E. M Tuck. 
The World’* Greatest Liniment for man 
and beast, Sold by ail druggists. $1 
Bottle; 6 for $5. Get the 96-page book, 
"Treatise on the Horse” free ot druggists 
or write to 
DR. B. J. KENDALL CO. 
Enosburg Falls, Vt. 
Mineral Heave Remedy Co.. 461 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburg, Pfe 
