MILKING-MACHINES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1479, 29 June 1912, Page 8

MILKING-MACHINES.

THE COSI'BL OF CLEANLINESS. Most dairymen .in New ,Zealand have heard at some time or oilier in connection with tho industry, of .Mr. John Sawcrs, who has been intimately connected with the New Zealand dairy world sines his arrival here in ISBS, and is at present' manager of the TMomlale factory. Some of Mr. Sawers's opinions as expressed to the "Southland Times" last week, particularly his references to the milking machine, are of interest. Mr. Sawers said that suppliers of milk lo dairy factories in- the early days did listter work than was observable (3. dn.r. 111 the earlier stages of liie industry suppliers seemed to enter into _it with greater enthusiasm, and vied with each other in supplying milk in the best possible condition'. To-day there was a Insitv, and during recent years tho introduction ui' the milking machine has placed a means of economical milking in the hands of dairy farmers, _ which, owing to a want of proper cleaning, had militated, and'would do so for some time, against tho best interests of the industry. No bet tar proof of this could be advanced than the results of the ehee.se competition at the recent Otago A. and I'. winter sliowvin that for grading points. The factories which had come out on top had 'been for the greater part free from milking machine suppliers. Some of them had each one such supplier; others two, and so 011; but there was not a sufficient number of suppliers' in any instanco to cause a detrimental effect on tho great bodv of the milk.' The more milking machine milk that was contained 111 the total intake, the worse the result had proved to bo", and factories -which had a large number, of milking machine suppliers contributing to tlie-ir intake had been labouring under a great disadvantage Tho whole question was one which rested entirely with the farmer, who oii'Mii' to clean and sterilise his milking machine immediately after using, either by steam or boiling water. No other means could-be effectively employed.

Not' All Bad. Mr. Sawyers said that ho foumFa proportion of" milk suppliers u«ing the niachines equally as good as tho best who had provided milk in the days when liandmilking was universal. There were soma farmers at. the present time who were ucin" machines, and who were supplying perfect milk. Although the milking machine was doing harm in the meantime, its operating could not be prevented, became it was a labour saver, and its rtir.oval would be disastrous to dairy farmers who are in a big way. Such a course would caisfe them to go ottl ol (he industry altogether, or else have to carry on in only a small way. Cleansing the Machinc.

Asked what time he thought it would take daily to thoroughly clean a milking machine. Mi. Sawers said that even a five-caw machine would require two hours attention after each time of milking, and it was absolutely necos-ary to have it sterilised - after each milking. M lion uncleanliness was observed day after day, in a short time the machine became thoroughly polluted. This had been the case in'many instances, and great anxiety and trouble was being caused to makers inconsequence; and. il such a course-were persisted in. sooner or later it would liavo an cxtremelv bad effect on the reputation of New Zealand's products of butter and cheese. He admitted that those who were dirtv in their practices when engaged in hand-mi 11; ing were the persons who wero most likely '0 offend whpn lising machines; but the trouble was that the dirt was concealed in the pipes and tubes, and was not visible, consequently hand-milk-ers who had been invariably clean, were apt to nfiend when thev used the machine. It was a matter for education, hut meanwhile it was very serious. As time went on directorates would look upon the question in a different light from what many of them do now, and would adopt means to overcome the difficulty. New Zealand's Success. In reply lo a question as to why NewZealand had continued to maintain a reputation for tho quality of cheese and butter exported from the Dominion, despite his strictures in regard to the milking machine, Mr. Sawers said that he could readily explain that. 111 tho Old Country the most scrupulous cleanliness was 'observed in connection with milking. One could eat his food from the floor of the cow-byres. The utensils were cleansed in a thorough manner, the paiis being as bright, as the proverbial dollar, nnd the cows and their udders, and the milkers, had not a semblance of dirl on Ihcm. The, milk, too,was immediately removed lo a suitable place, after having been taken from the cow;, in order (0 prevent, contagion. Yet New Zealand, where this care was not. observed, could hold her own with the older comiIrics. This, said Mr. Sawers, has been doe to the scientific knowledge of manufacturing instilled into the cheeseniakers ami which dairy farmers in tho Old Country do not possess. Ho mentioned the caro that was taken in the cheese factories' in thoroughly cleansing the vats,'the'walls, th© floors; in everything in and around dairy factories. A careful and conscientious . factroy manager washed and steamed all tho utensils employed by him, and often 110 wondered if ho had cleaned tlicni enough. And, if it were thought so necessary by tho factory manager to systematically observe such habils of cleanlinesc, how much more so vas it necessary in the ca-e of the pipes and tubes of a. milking machine used by the farmer? If the farmer could be persuaded to follow the factory manager in the matter of cleanliness, New Zealand cheese would reach such a point of excellence that has never yet been equalled in any other country. The clieesemaker was doing his part; it was now a question of the farmer doing his. By-Products. Tho waste (hat at one time was noticeable in connection with the dairying industry will. Mr. Sawers contends, be lemovcd in the near future. At the Kdendale factory, for instance, the manufacture. of whey butter had been inaugurated. And from every IGO gallons of milk S'.lb. of butter will in future be manufactured, which formerly was wasted. This means an increase in the revenue of tho company of from J2IOOO to

To «n<iblf> "Ho n-hov to drain off thoroughly it is absolutely thnt the best, t'heejo Vats should bo used. "Victor" Vats, manufactured by A. J. Parton. Ifegistered Plumber, Carterton, allow the whole of the iviiey to draiu oil, .Write Jot uwtioulars.

,£ISOO per year. Then there whs Iho manufacture of casein, which meant added revenue. Casein was becoming ntoro and more in request for a variety of uses, including ornaments, imitatiim ivory, artificial teeth, ami a numerous variety of other things. Hei'erriug to tho future prospects of the industry Jlv. Sawers said that so far as the industry at present, is concerned it is in an embryo stale, and was bound lo assume much large dimensions. The past season had been very favourable in regard'to prices, but not l'or millc production, tho season having a bad elfect in regard to quantity. The output had certainly been greater, but against that it must Ijo considered tlmt a far greater number of cows had been milked than had ever previously been the case. It appeared to him that for several years ahead high prices were assured. Tho prospects for the coming sea.-on were exceedingly "ood, and ho thought that suppliers would realise just os much at tho factory as they had dono during the season just ended. Tlie way in which prices were keeping up in the Old Country was remarkable and unprecedented, and tho outlook was as good as ever. • When in the month of June, which is liiid-sum-mer in the Old Country, butter was nuotcd at Ills, and cheese at from 7-ts. to 755„ there could be 110 doubt whatever of prices being maintained later 011. The pl-ospects were most promising, but ho hoped that dairy farmers meantime) would , lend an ear to the matters he had referred. to, oiul co-operate with the cheesemakers in turning out an article which would at once cause admiration and envy to other competing countries. As the position was now, it was in farmers' hands to have this desirable slate of things brought about, and it was due to them to rise to the occasion.