A NEW MILKING MACHINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 98, 3 August 1910, Page 2

A NEW MILKING MACHINE.

MR. C. GANE'S INVENTION. Several years ago the milking machine was viewed with disfavor .by many dairy farmers. There was a reasonable prejudice against it, because milking cows by machinery didn't seem natural. A striking change has taken place in such a short period; for it is very scMom indeed that a farmer is now met v.i;h, who views the presence of the milking machine with anything but satisfaction. The only point that troubles h'm now is to find out which machine is the best. He exercises a prudence tvpical of the farmer in this respect, and his caution is commendable. Each successive dairying season finds new inventions bv way of labor-savers at the farmers* disposal. At the last Palmerston North Winter Show and the recent Taranaki Winter Show the advancement made was very pronounced. Among the exhibits there on view 'was one by a local inventor (Mr. C. Gane, of Normanby), which attracted a good deal of attention. This was "Gane's Automatic Releaser," and it has proved an invention of great value to those who now have it installed. About November .last Mr. Gane applied for patents in connection with a new milking plant. Locally, a good deal of interest has been taken in Mr. Gane's inventions, judging by the numerous enquiries as to when the plant would be available. About the end of the vear a complete plant was secured, and this was set up at Mr. James Ware's farm, Nbrmariby road, where a Star reporter saw it at work on Tuesday. A herd of cows numbering 72 was put through at the rate of one a minute, though, until some seven -weeks ago, they had all been hand-milked. The plant 'is a four-cow one, and the power is derived from a two-horse Tangye'engine. There is the usual vacuum pump. Attached to the pulsator pipe is a patent pneumatic pulsator, which is of very simple design, but • effective in performing its work. Another pronounced improvement is the teat-cup, the rubber part of which is -•ist with a flange. This will reduce the cost for wear and tear of these parts to a minimum. On the teat-cup claw is a further patent, which facilitates the removal of the cups and avoids any milk being lost when changing' -i,o another cow. A further new idea is seen on examining the claw nipples, which are so flanged as to prevent the rubbers from falling off. The teat-cups are nickel-plated. Rubber is dispensed with where this can he done, and is substituted by bronze piping, which can be more easily cleaned. The milk is drawn into the automatic releaser, and from there runs by a spouting into the distributing tray. It then passes into the cans, and from the time it leaves the cow cools from a temperature of 98 to patent eowibail, which is again a simple though satisfactory arrangement. Three hands are fully employed with the-four single sets of cups, eight cows being bailed, and the installation of double sets would be no advantage. The manner in which the cows hustle to get into the bail suggests that, the method of milking is decidedly agreeable to them. With the exception of a few heifers, the herd is as contented as if machine-milking had been in vogue on the farm for years, i With the Gane installation only a small cowshed is necessary, and a big saving can be effected in this respect. Mr. Were said he was confident the machine would give every satisfaction. People had said he would regret the installation of a machine half-way through the .season, but he was quite satisfied with tie results. He did not think there was any decrease in milk on account of the machine. There certainly was for a few days, but the yield was quickly up again. He was getting all that the cows could give, iand would not get any better results i by hand-milking; he was quite satisfied he would not have better quality results. Not a word of disapproval had been heard about the' milk at. the factory. The quality of the milk was much better than by hand-milking.« Previously each milking occupied from 3*4 to- 4 hours, whereas now the inornina operations took only 1%, and the afternoon 1% hours. Fewer hands were necessary, and he had now no worry in reference to the labor problem. Dairy farmers are invited to secure pamphlets and all information from Mr. R. H. Jenkins, Eltham.—Advt.