84-4 
THE) RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
June 20, 
THE MILKING MACHINE SAVES DAIRYING 
N most arguments pertaining to ma¬ 
chinery, the first consideration is the 
cost, but with the power milker the cost 
seems to me the last point of argument, 
so will consider the many-sided question 
of getting the milking done in a regular, 
gentle and economical way, with consider¬ 
able emphasis on the gentleness, which 
means more milk on less feed; fewer 
cows for the butcher, and less for the 
soap-fat man. 
Advantages Of The Machine. —The 
first side to consider is satisfaction of 
having three dependable milkers, more 
reliable than the owner, the superin¬ 
tendent, or manager. It is more reliable 
than any hand milker, no matter what 
his title may be; three milkers always 
sober, even-tempered, up on time every 
morning, will not smoke or carry matches 
in the barn, no beating cows with stools 
or clubs, no profane, loud talk among the 
cows, no holidays off on every other Sun¬ 
day or more. Just consider a Sunday 
evening in August, 99 degrees in the 
stable, 25 cows to milk, no one shows up 
to help. I know how you feel like asking 
the good willing wife to help. I know 
how she has been asked many times be¬ 
fore. It means one hour or more of hot 
work with the cow’s tail around your 
neck or in your eye most of the time. 
That is one side, the old way. The new 
way, after you start engine, get milk¬ 
ers adjusted, feed cows, the good wife 
comes out without changing any clothes, 
stands by the door or window, waiting to 
assist carrying the milk to cool, while 
you attend the three units, which do the 
hot job in between the cows just as 
quickly as any three men in the neigh¬ 
borhood, without using any language 
which would not be fit for your wife or 
children to hear. 
Reliability seems to come next. Is 
any machine perfect, never wearing out 
or occasionally breaking some part, or 
getting out of adjustment? Has the 
binder, mower, or potato machinery been 
discarded because it broke down when in 
the midst of harvest? Did you take your 
wind pump down because it got out of 
order? Has the general use of machin¬ 
ery been checked because they break a 25- 
cent part? The same has to be consid¬ 
ered with the milker. But say you have 
three units or more; if one does get un¬ 
manageable or give out in a busy time, 
you still have two others. Can you say 
that of all your machinery, or any part 
of it? We have none here that will in¬ 
terchange parts and still work like the 
milker. Personally I believe there are 
more man or manager failures than real 
machine failures; close observation and 
also records kept by the I*. II. It. Com¬ 
pany show that 70% of the failures on 
locomotives are due direct to the man and 
not the mechanism. The milker is able 
to duplicate the calf on all teats at one 
time without the butt, when no more 
milk is to be had. 
Initial Cost And Upkeep. —We have 
not been using one long enough to find 
out the upkeep. I do know that it is 
made of non-corrosive metal and rubber, 
and believe many parts will last for a 
generation. Like other machines, in one 
man’s care lasts many times longer than 
in other hands. As I understand this 
side of the question, there has been a 
slight advance owing to more expensive 
material used and a greater demand, 
showing positively that they are filling 
the place of hand milkers in many dair¬ 
ies. The price depends on the number 
of units, also on amount of piping ne¬ 
cessary to reach the power room. 
Returns From Investment. —Yes, 
that’s what we are farmers for, trying to 
get returns from the soil by using fer¬ 
tilizer and seed, and doing most of the 
work with machinery. Why? Because 
it is cheaper and increases the returns. 
I do not know much about the banking 
or commercial world, but they are after 
the returns just the same. Returns from 
the milker investment can be figured in 
many ways, so will just note a few as 
I see them: First, cost of our equipment 
$510, February 1st, 1914, and for easy 
figures will say interest $30. It is satis¬ 
faction to know one can get done milk¬ 
ing before dark, and when help all take 
a day off, and not start at noon, it is 
worth $100 per year. Another way of 
getting returns: One man and team can 
stay one hour longer in field during one 
hundred busy days at 30 cents per hour, 
which means good interest. Another way, 
in Winter season can do with one man 
less, wages and board ($35), make 
$105. That will more than pay for 
gasoline and other oils for two years. 
The Cow’s Opinion. —The cows can 
answer a number of questions in refer¬ 
ence to the milker after the first week of 
use, and the principal one is, that she 
likes it better than hand milking, and you 
know what that means in the pail and in 
the pocket or bank or automobile, which¬ 
ever you choose. Compared with other 
machinery, as to cost and hours used per 
year, take the reaper and binder at a 
cost of $125 new, used about 30 hours 
per year, about $4.16 per hour’s use in 
the field. The milker will be used about 
730 hours per year, or 70 cents per 
hour’s use in the barn, and you can com¬ 
pare it with almost any machine, and 
will find it is the most used compared 
with the price of any implement on the 
farm. d. s. crosiiaw. 
New Jersey. 
COW KEEPING IN NEW ENGLAND. 
HERE is quite a general opinion 
broadcast over New England that 
the number of cows in Massachu¬ 
setts and also in the other States that 
largely supply Boston market with whole 
milk are decreasing at the rate of about 
5.000 yearly. It has been officially stated 
that the above figures are correct in 
Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It 
is a fact that the number as a whole is 
decreasing faster than is good for us, but 
I think the decrease has been overrated, 
for this reason: In a neighboring town 
about 30 farmers who formerly produced 
milk are not doing so now, but on the 
other hand those who are producing have 
in many cases doubled their capacity, 
which would make up to a certain extent 
the loss, or part of it at least, from the 
non-producing farms. One of the largest 
producers of this town gave a general 
talk on the milk producing question at a 
farmers’ club the other evening, and some 
things he said are worth noting. His 
advice on farm improvement is to do 
what is needed in a common sense way ; 
always keep to the practical. A barn 
with a cellar can and should be kept so 
it is as healthy as any other, and the 
cows can be kept cleaner if anything 
than in a ground floor barn. It is not 
always, in fact seldom, good policy to 
follow wealthy people’s ideas in barn 
building. Give plenty of space in all 
ways possible. A good handy trough is 
better than individual cups, and can be 
more easily kept clean and sweet. An 
important point is to allow no diseased 
cow in the barn, know that all the cows 
are healthy. Go high in building to give 
plenty of overhead space for hay and 
fodder. 
It pays to raise your own stock and 
breed up. A good sire should be kept 
as long as possible. It pays to keep re¬ 
cords of all cows and know just what 
they are doing. One bull, apparently a 
good one, did not produce good calves, as I 
only one of this class was obtained from 
him; the rest all had some fault or other. 
As soon as this was discovered he was 
passed. Cow-testing associations are 
good things, and prove the cost of pro¬ 
ducing from the various cows. Including 
all feed, the association found for him 
that one produced her milk for 2% cents 
per quart, while another cost four cents 
per quart. It was very important to 
know of this. 
It is important to raise everything on 
the farm that is possible, both stock and 
feed. Corn silage is the best main feed 
for cheapness and results, but it should 
be good silage. A great saving is made 
by buying grain by car lots if possible. 
A good ration, also an economical. one, 1 
is 200 pounds gluten, 100 pounds cotton¬ 
seed and 100 pounds bran. This is fed 
by the writer with good results also, only 
I feed a little cornmeal to some cows 
with it; that is, those that lose flesh 
when milking heavily. Clover and Al¬ 
falfa are the best kinds of roughage feed, 
oats and peas, one of the best green 
feeds; Winter rye is an excellent crop, 
both for feed and plowing under, and is 
used heavily for this purpose on the 
farm. Millet is also a good green feed, 
but Hungarian is better for hay than any 
of the others, and is also good feed for 
horses. However, the corn crop must be 
our standby, and sweet corn is raised to 
good advantage. Sell the ears if you 
have a market, if not feed them. 
Several years ago a good profit could 
be made by retailing milk at five cents 
per quart, but at present, as conditions 
now are, this figure should be obtained 
at wholesale to make any headway what¬ 
ever. An IS or 20-quart cow must be 
fed 12 pounds of union or 10 pounds of 
heavier grain to keep up the flow. A cow 
should give 8,000 pounds per year to 
keep for profit. One cow gave a profit 
above feed of $173 in a year, another 
only $32. A cow which produced 12,000 
pounds <tf milk per year cost 1% cent 
per quart for feed. One that produced 
6,000 per year cost three cents per quart. 
It was found that $9 per year was about 
the right figure for depreciation of a 
good cow. The above remarks contain 
both truth and common sense, and coming 
from a successful dairyman who runs his 
business at a profit and can be consid¬ 
ered a successful farmer in the dairy 
line, he is a safe example to follow for 
hundreds of other milk producers of New 
England too many of whom are farming 
without profit, and consequently without 
common sense, as if the latter is used 
profit though perhaps small, must result, 
and if it does not result it is not common 
sense to stay in the business. The thing 
to do is find out if we are making any 
headway, and if not why not, as many 
times it is our own fault when we lay 
it to something else. Knowing our own 
conditions, studying the system and busi¬ 
ness ways of any successful person in 
the same business, may help us stop our i 
leaks, improve our methods and place 
our balance on the right side of the sheet, 
and this is the thing we should do if we 
would continue in the business, a. e. p. 
Carpitis. 
I have a horse that is lame in the 
left forward knee, caused by an enlarge¬ 
ment of the joint on the front side. The 
horse has been lame for about two years, 
sometimes quite lame and then again not 
very much. He is in good condition and 
apparently good health. The trouble is 
supposed to have been caused by either 
bumping or bruising the knee. Can any¬ 
thing be done to relieve him? b. a. z. 
New York. 
There is little hope of relief in such a 
confirmed case; but we should clip the 
hair from the joint, tie the horse so that 
he will be unable to bump the knee and 
then rub in an ounce of cerate of can- 
tharides. Rub the blister in for 15 min- j 
utes. Wash it off in two days and then 
apply lard daily. Repeat the blister in 
three or four weeks, if the first one did 
some good. a. S. a. 
Scours. 
I have a yearling bull, weaned last 
Spring. I gave him a good chance last 
Summer and had been feeding him on 
cut up corn part of the time, and when 
that got hard I fed him on cob meal, 
bran and cottonseed meal. He gets poor¬ 
er every day; has a swelling under his 
chin and his bowels are not very good. 
I have been letting him run on sod, but 
have put him on dry food now entirely. 
I had two die last year this same way on 
another farm. The yearlings that died 
last year had scours very badly. I had 
this bull vaccinated last Fall to prevent 
trouble. J. F. j. 
Have the young bull tested with tuber¬ 
culin as the symptoms suggest tuberculo¬ 
sis. It is more likely, however, that 
Joline’s disease is present, and it too is 
incurable. The latter disease is spread 
by manure. To make sure it is present 
it would be necessary to have microscopic 
examination made of manure and pinch- j 
ings or scrapings from the rectum of the | 
affected animal. Arrange to have this done 
by the experts of the veterinary depart¬ 
ment of your State agricultural experi¬ 
ment station. Meanwhile keep the animal 
separate. It may be added that the swelling 
under the jaw is dropsical and a char¬ 
acteristic symptom of bloodlessness and 
debility (anemia). a. s. a. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
It. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
‘‘square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
The Powerful Smalley 
Cuts Silo-Filling Cost! 
The day of the old slat-apron silo filler is 
gone. No wise farmer is going to use one 
when he can get a money-saving, grip-hook, 
force-feed SMALLEY, that does the work 
quicker, easier and at less cost. It handles 
silage, cow peas or alfalfa in a hurry. Cuts 
It fine and uniform. Packs silage tighter— 
gives more tonnage. 
No Power Waste 
One pulley and chain-drive on blower out¬ 
fits replace power-wasting idlers. 
1914 Carrier 
A 5 H. P. Engine will run a No. 12 force- 
feed and our 1914 enclosed carrier. Special 
alfalfa grinding screen furnished extra, pro¬ 
tected by screen patent No. 721,246. Make 
your own meal. 
Send postal today for latest Smalley catalog. 
The Smalley Mfg. Co. 
Box 232 
Manitowoc, WIs. 
Manufacturers of 
Ensilage, Alfalfa and 
Hand Feed Cutters, 
Combination Ensi¬ 
lage and Snapping 
Machines, Drag 
and Circular Saw 
Machines, Cham¬ 
pion Plows. Cob 
Grinders and Feed 
Mills. 
Fill Your Silo 
Pay when 
Satisfied 
We want to prove that our machines arc a good in¬ 
vestment before you give up your money. We knew 
they are so good that we do not fee] it a risk to make 
this offer. Many new features have been added which 
you should know about. Special made machines for 
New York State and the East. We make many styles 
am! sizes to meet any and all conditions. Write for catalog 
The E. W. Ross Co., Box 113, Springfield, O. 
Over 
64 
Years 
Experience 
Buck of it. 
Machines are 
ROSS fully guaranteed 
You take no risk 
W saving of power. The more you learn, the ^ 
J more you’ll agree that "The Light Running 1 
[ Silberzahn” is best of all. Has the strongest \ 
built frame, throat and blower that never clog, best 
knife adjustment, positive safety device and other 
valuable features found in no other. Write today 
for catalog and proof. 
i GEHL BROS. MFG. CO. S J 
I 107 S. Waler St. West Bend, 
Cut Ensilage With The Light Running “Papec” 
A 4 h. p. engine will run ‘‘The Wonderful Papec.” It cuts and ^ 
! elevates the ensilage in a full steady stream io the top of the highest 
silo as fast as you can bring the corn to the machine. The 
PAPEC PNEUMATIC ENSILAGE CUTTER 
. is simple in construction—easy to set up and take down—convenient 
to operate —gear driven —no lost power. Write today for illus- 
•« trated catalog — sent free. 
Throw^^ PAPEC MACHINE CO., Box 10 SHORTSVILLE, N. Y. 
and 215 Convenient Distributing Points in IT. 8. 
Blows" Vs —■■■ ... 
A regular work eater 
‘I never saw such a hungry thins as the Blizzard,” 
writes a user. “I tried to clog it and couldn’t,’’writes 
another. The corn will be put in the silo, fast as you 
can get it to the cutter, if you use a 
Ensilage _ r 
Cutter 
Makes big capacity possible with your regular 
farm engine of 6 to 12 h. p. No silos too high. 
Self-feed table. Absolutely sate. Simple, strong, 
durable. Cuts evenly. Lasts for many years. 
Write for Blizzard catalog and get all the facts. 
The Jos. Dick Mfg. Co., Box 20 Canton, 0. 
BLIZZARD 
SiLFETY I^mST 
WITH 
SAFETY YOKE 
Sl GUAR D S 
Solid disk, straight knives—kept 
sharp—straight shear cut, three 
bearings, fast feed rolls, quick, 
line adjustments, telescope pipe, 
strong construction. 
ALL SIZES EQUIPPED TO SUIT 
8END FOR CATALOGUE 
Robmsorv & Co. 
Richmond, Irvd 
