Page 6 Advertisements Column 3

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10066, 11 June 1910, Page 6

SUCCESSFTTLL MILKING MACHINE.

Suc3ess in a 7 l branches of mechanics ie keenly followed by the public, and the "immense interest" now being; displayed in the development cf the flying machine forma a striking example. No doubt in a few years the conquest of the air will have developed into a commercial and ec nomical success, and will be accepted by the public as an ordinary factor in everyday life. This will enly be a repetition of the history and development of every rconomical factor of modarn times. Since the advent of the Cream Separator and the Reaper and Binder no economical aid to the farming community has been produced to equal the commercial success of tfcv, Milking Machine Tne milking machire is not a modi rn idea, as records of patents taken out are to be found as far back as 1819, and it is further evident that innumerable attemps were made during the past cenpast century to prodace a successful milker. While many of the machines presented successful mechanical features they one and all failed to overcome the difficulty cf the inanimate appliance perform an animate functi n. The milking machine, like perpetual motion, was regarded by the public as one of the great impossibilities. In 1893 Messrs Lawrence and Kennedy of Glasgow obtained patents for a machine thatEe?med to be nearer the action of the living calf, having a combination of intermittent suction and pressure. The first L, and K., machines were brought out to Australia in 1901, and to New Zealand in 1902. These machines were not heralded by any public announcement, but were quietly put to work and asked to prove their ability to solve the g eat problem. For some months the results saemed eminently satisfactory, and it 'was not till the full flush of the season that they proved an economical failure, Undaunted the inventors still persevered in their efforts, and finally chance sent to their assistance an. Australian dairy farmer named Gillies, who had <i*coveied that by admitting in a certain manner a small quantity of air to the milk passage nven the heaviest milking cows could be satisfactorily and thoroughly miiked. Gillies' patent was obtained in May, 1903, and was combined with those of Lawrence and Kennedy, thus pi oducing the first successful mechanical milker the world has ever seen. The old L. and K. machines were promptly remodelled and the Gillies patent added, Again the machines were quietly put to practical work, and this time the results could not be mistaken. Gradually a few m r re plants weie put to work, ard in three years' time the dairy farming community suddenly realised that the milking machine had not only arrived, but had for tome time been quietly making its way into general use. No advertising or canvassers were necessary to push the sale. The labour ridden dairy farmer opened wide his arms and gave the L.K.G. the warmest possible welcome. As an indication c'f the success achieved by this machine the number installed in I£o2 amounted to 12 only, while at 31st March last the total machines sold throughout New Zealand had in eight years amounted to over 1500. To get some idea of the general use into which the L.K.G has risen, put of 543,000 cows in New Zealand recorded last year under the Stock Act as for dairy purposes over 54,000 are being milked by these machines, This means that over ten per cent of the dairy cows in the Dominion are milked by the L.K G. Milking Ma chine. Truly can this machine claim to have marked an epoch in the history cf the dairying industry. In Australia, Tasmania, .North Amer'ca, Denmark, England and Scotlmd the LXG. has made rapid fctrides, and can now claim a world wide reputation. It is interesting to note that the valuable Gillies pitents, which ars responsible for the first successful milking machines have still some years to iua in Australasia, and until ihey wire are the sole property of the L K G. Machine.