\ 
64 Report or DEPARTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGY OF THE 
ing the results obtained by good hand-milkers and perhaps even 
improving upon those secured by general farm help.” 
Mairs® directed his attention principally to the mechanical 
side of the milking machine and to the effect upon the cows. 
However, he compared the flavor of the milk, after the lapse 
of some days, when drawn by the machine and when drawn by 
hand. He did not observe any difference in the flavor or keep- 
ing quality of these two classes of milk. 
The bacterial side of the question was studied by Meek.® 
The average germ content of a large number of samples from 
individual cows milked with the machine was 47,860. per ce. 
while a large number of composite samples from four or five 
cows averaged 83,143 per cc. Milk drawn by hand under com- 
parable barn conditions averaged from one-third to one-half 
of the above numbers. 
Haecker and Little’? gave the results of two years of observa- 
tion of the workings of a Burrell-Lawrence-Kennedy machine. 
A large part of their publication is devoted to a discussion of 
the cost of installation and of maintenance and of the effect 
of the machine upon the flow of milk. However, several 
comparisons are given of the germ content of the machine 
and the hand-drawn milk, when the machine was cleaned in 
different ways. Cotton filters were used and the rubber parts 
were kept in lime water at least a portion of the time. The 
results obtained with the milking machine did not compare 
favorably with those from the hand milking except when the 
labor expended in cleaning the machine was such as to make 
the milking machine of doubtful economy in practice. 
Price" studied the Burrell-Lawrence-Kennedy machine for 
18 months as it was used under ordinary conditions. His at- 
SMairs, T. I. Test of a mechanical cow milker. Penn. Agr. Exp. Sta. 
Bul. 85. Jan. 1908. 
°Meek, E. B. Bacterial efficiency of the milking machine. Penn. State 
Col. Ann. Rep. 1907-8. P. 146-159. 
~Haecker, A. L., and Little, E. M. Milking machines. Neb. Agr. Exp. 
Sta. Bul. 108.” Dec. 1908: 
“Price, J. N. Home grown rations in economical production of milk 
and butter. Tenn. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 80. Jan. 1908. 
