HAND v. MILKING MACHINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 77, 9 July 1910, Page 3

HAND v. MILKING MACHINE.

As reports and rumors of heavy losses through using milking machines are at; the present time considerably agitating! the daiiy community in various parts of the Dominion, a brief review of the facts which led up to the present milking machine boom may be of interest. For considerably over one hundred years attempts have been made to introduce a successful mechanical milker,, and it is no.v generally recognised '(ilial-U.it first really successful machine both from a mechanical and economic standpoint, was the Lawrenee-Kennedv-Gilfe, which was introduced eight years ago to Sew Zealand. For close on six roars the L.K G was the only pebble on the beach, and so conclusively proved it had solved the great problem of successful mechanical milking that the immense field opened up was recognised and taken advantage of by others, with the result that during the past two years well on to a score of machines, mostly of local origin, have been energetically exploited on the Xew Zealand market. It is worthy of record that while the rest of the world took' nearly one hundred years of experiment to produce the first successful milker. 2vew Zealand has produced nearly a ' score of machines in less than 20 months. , In no other country in the world can such development be found, and it is just a question whether these develop-1 ments have not been too rapid, with the result of a certain degree of failure bem"' registered on the milkingmachine b*\Smeter. The reasou for these' abnormal j developments are not hard to seek, and are | found in the urgent demand for mechanical assistance to overeome the extreme difficulties experienced in 'securing competent labor at reasonable rates. 0 Tub L.K.G., having established after six years' practical use the fjossibiik-.- of producing a successful milker, "the''rest was easy, because the demand for milk-' ing machines was established years before the L.K.G-. came on the horizon and increased annually as the labor conditions became worse; The public were 1 therefore ripe for the general adoption of milking machines and eagerly accepted everything offered, thus creating the present extraordinary boom in mechanical milking machines! In America, Great Britain, Denmark, and even nearer home in Australia the conditions are reversed. The labor trouble is' not present, and the demand for labor-saving appliances is therefore much less, making their introduction comparatively difficult and slow. Outside of tNew Zealand the dairy countries of the world only know and recognise the Lawrence-Kennedy-Gillies as the one successful milker oh the market. Owing to the rush to. 'supply the extraordinary demand in New Zealarfd it is only to be expected that an element of ignorance and error should'creet> in, resulting in varying degrees' <jf failure, which must have a tendency to checS the present boom. All things-find their normal level with time, and .beeaise some machines may not be successful fit-is unfair to rush to the other and condemn milking machines. -' T'he':,J J >K.G. is one of the striking 'exAmpJefrfi the •survival of the fittest, 'as eight j years on the market the. ntfmher of |

users continues to increase mi rfcpitfe of competition. To-day over 1500 machines are in use in Xew Zealand,, estimated to be milking upwards of 5O;00O ep.ws-daily, which is equal to over ten. p,er..,ceat. of the dairy cow, in the Dominion! ±ue agents report that sales during, 'the.*past season increased by 30 per cent., >hile orders in .hand for the ensuing season already exceed the total sales for the previous period. These facts, combined with the testimony from over TOO satisfied users, many of whom have used the machines for five, six and seven years, proved that the L.K.«. at least has not. been a failure in comparison with handmilking.*