THE L.-K.-G. MILKING MACHINE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8477, 3 July 1907, Page 3

THE L.-K.-G. MILKING MACHINE.

(From the Taranaßi Daily News.) A successful public demonstration of the Lawrence - Kennedy - Gillies Milking Machine was given at Mr C. Honey field's Beach Farm at Tatar aimaka, recently. At the conclusion of the demonstration a Daily News representative interviewed a representative of the "L.-K.-G.," who stated that on January 31st last, 544 machines were actually in use in New Zealand. In Australia over 1,300 machines are working, while a letter received by the last mail from the American agents of the "L.-K.-G." advises that over 1,700 machines havt. been sold to date. In Great Britain the progress has been much slower but recent newspaper reports show that in Scotland especially the farming community is fast gaining confidence through the practical results that are being obtained. These results have only been secured after five years' patient waiting until the public confidence had been completely won over. It will still be fresh in the memory of many Taranaki farmers that the Thistle, Brookside, and even more recent machines, including the original "Lawrence-Kennedy," resulted in disastrous failure. All these machines, and also many others before them, were placed on the market with perfect confidence by.their inventors. The results show how easily even the inventor can be deceived. There is only one reliable method of finding out if a milking machine is a complete success, and that is by putting them into the hands of a number of practical farmers who intend to use the machines to help them earn their living. If after watching the effects on the cows and the bank account, for two full seasons, these men state that the machine is a success then some reliable evidence has been secured.

Numbers of previous machines appeared to work satisfactorily for a few months., hut in every instance the final result was complete failure. A knowledge of these facts was responsible for the cautious policy adopted when introducing the "L-.K-.G." to New Zealand over five years ago. Until the machines had been used by a number of farmers for close on four seasons, the agents did not feel justified in drawing the attention of the public to the results achieved. Had the results been the same as with every previous machine, the "L.-K.-G" would have quietly sunk out of sight and no one except the agents would have, been any the worse. However, Gillies' patent turned out to be the one chance in a thousand which succeeds, and after four yeara' use the "L. -K-.G." proved conclusively to the public, be T fore they were ask.ed to buy, that the problem of milking by machinery had been solved. The secret of the cess is securely covered by patent rights, and .consequently cannot be used by other inventors. The "L.-K.-G." can therefore claim to be the first machine which has established in the public mind the possibility of successful mechanical milking. So completely has this confidence been established that the public are apt to overlook the fact that as yet the "'L. K.-G. : ' is THE machine has been thoroughly tested by practical use. Owing to incomplete knowledge of the principles of milking by suction many people are apt to get wrong impressions on many points. Over milking is looked upon as the great danger to be overcome. If,this were all it would surely be practicable to keep a sufficiently close watch and remove the cups by hand as soon as the flow stops. This disadvantage in early machines would not have been sufficient to condemn their use. The real facts are that all machines prior to the "L.-K.-G." injured the cows while the milk was actually being rtrawn, and it was to overcome this defect that Gillies adopted the same system as the <calf, namely, to combine action with pressure while at the same time admitting sufficient air to enable the machine to "swallow" the milk and also relieve the stress on the teats.

The calf must draw its breath, otherwise "dead" suction is the result. By inlet ting air alongside the teats there is no possible chance of injury to the cow during milking or at any time even if the cups were left on indefinitely. The cow is protected automatically from the moment the cups are applied. The amount of vacuum chown on the gauge is also misleading. Whereas the gauge near the "L.-K.-G." pump shows 18 inches,the vacuum in the cup on the teats alternates from 15 to 5 at least 45 times per minute. The high suction on the gauge is necessary to prevent the air that ;goes in from breaking down the vacuum on the teats altogether. It is also erroneously believed that if a low vacuum is used to keep the cups in position that by using a higher vacuum between the inflation and the metal cup an advantage is secured.- The actual facts are that the amount of squeeze depends entirely on the amount of vacuum that is inside the cup. No matter how high the vacuum may be between the inflation and the cup it can only serve the purpose of drawing back the inflation and relieving the squeeze in place of increasing it. On the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket, the "L.-K.-G." employs two, three or more pulsators as may be required. If only one pulsatcr were used for the whole shed and anything went wrong with it the entire milking would stop, whereas with the "L.-K.-G." if one pulsator stops, the others can still complete the Work even if it does take a little longer time.

11 is pleasant to record that as a result of the public confidence in the "L.-K.-G." orders are coming in very rapidly and already more machines are on order for the ensuing season than the total installed during the past season. Intendirg purchasers will be well advised to order early if disappointment is to be avoided.