Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-09
ELECTRIC FARMS.
The Modern System Of Plant Propa-
cation.
No Limit 10 Farming 10 the Use Of the In.
visible Power.

seen the grand and glorious country
with few others Of similar proportions
they would have been overwhelmed with
wonder. How much greater would that
wonder have been could they have been
told that in few years after the open g.
ing of the 10Th century many farmers
would be doing their work by means Of
chained lightning.
The fact that such will be the case
seems almost improbable Ia us of the 18Th
century who are used to seeing the cleo
tric cars climbing up and down our hills
and flying all over the country carving
millions of passengers ana hauling tons
of freight. The fluid has been put In
many uses since BENJAMIN Franklin first
induced Some of II 10 come down from the
sky through metallic Kite line Ii re-.
mains for the autumn of 1899 to bring forth
the most novel theory The ideas al !
vanced that in "A few wears farmer.
VIII be doing their farming by means of
electricity.
The model farm of tomorrow ana OF
the future must avail itself of the most
economical systems of plant propagation
and the Geomagnctifcre must play an i'm
purtant part IN its workings saws the
Ne" England magazine. Beneath the
rich e1il IN the gardens where the delicate
veg ;dples are growing networks Of invis.
ihlc wires are laid collecting and distrib.
uting me atmospheric electricity to all
the plants.
In the forcing houses similar arrange.
ments are made for stimulating the win.
ter vegetables ana flowers for the mar
ket while overhead powerful are lights
make me night as brilliant as day and
help TO mature the plant growths In half
The regular Time required By nature In
the fields of wheat and corn the more
powerful currents from a storage house
work out similar results. lessening the
| season OF growth and doubling the Yield
per acre. Excessive drought and the dan
ger from late ana early frosts are thus
| Il Yt.r LIT
| II necessary. TWO crops can be- raised IN
one season where formerly only one could
| be grown. The electric power that the
farmer has al his command enables him
| to regulate the growth Of his plants 10
suit the season or the markets. one por-
ton OF the garden can be forced. while
| the other half is kept back several weeks
| There Is no limit to the use OF the new
invisible power which he gathers from
| the atmosphere around him ar generates
| from the wasted forces Of the neighbor.
| examination Of the source Of the new
power that propels the machinery on the
| farm.
A small stream of water that formerly
| flowed across the farm In an irregular
| course, fertiliZing the lower meadows and
| irrigatng the upland districts. has been
| widened and deepened near its source
| forming large storage reservoir. This
| artificial pond has been damned at is
| lower end. and as the water tumhles over
| the open water gates IL turns several
| large turbine wheels.
These wheels do not move the machin-
| cry OF a flour mill. but constantly manu-.
| facture electricity for use on the farm
| BY means OF the huge storage reservoir
| the work Of making electricity can go on
| through the dryeSt season. for the water
| power never gives out and the electric
| power L. always ready to 40 its work
| From this storage house the motive DOW.
| er il conducted to all parts Of the farm
| The forcing houses for winter plants are
| connected with the power houses by over
| head wires similar to those which disfic-
ure the city streets for trolley lines Tn.
| great barn and living house are lighted
| by electric lights that get their source OF
energy in the same place. Movable cables
| radate from the storage houses to every
| part Of the fields and Ia those electric
| motors are attached for performing the
various labors assigned to them by the
| inventive genius of man.
| The electric machinery worked by the
| motors Is full OF interest. Here are huge
| plows that turn over six burrows Of fresh
soil at once. haNraCks and reapers which
| perform their duties automatically. cleo.
| trio weed killers and fertilizers corn
| gigantic thraShing and tanning mills.
Electric vehicles rush across the eXteu.
| Slve fields with loads Of grain, hay or
vegetables, moving their broad tires with
| out difficulty over the rough uneven sur
| face. and behind the pIows ana harrows
| the automatic seederS follow in close sue
| CeSsiOn. dropping the corn. wheat or 9th
| er seed at regular intervals in the freshly
turned burrows. Everything is performed
| BY machinery guided by disciplined
hands ana propelled by tile new motive
| nower thar has causad All Tho rn,.oII,finn
| There .rr tvo General tInal ~ tba.+
| electric plovs which will sar,a to hin
| tratp The general nrincinle III oparation ~
each class The first tvpa is nroneIled IN.
| !, txaI ,nntnr The tipld l,.lir+nl 80
| blowing is divided into sections or axart
in the width If The "a HE usel for milling
| the plows. \ heavy powerful electric
motor on wheels is stationed at each side
of the field. ana strong cable connects
| them. This cable winds and unwinds up
on a spool as the machinery Is set in mo-
lion. To this cable the pillow. which is
capable of turning from three to six fur
rows Of soil at once is firmly attached
When the electric motor on the side ~
the field is set i'm motion ii winds un th,
| ga bl. ana drags the plow toward IT. ann
when 1t reaches that side of the field n
turns around ana the reverse action N
| the other motor repeats the operation
rbc sac,nd t,.,o ~ Iac.,i, ,I, l.; ,,
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.nJ .,i,. IA, 800. II Pit u STOW III
"hinaTrr con liz IN "a 70 an ,'e r ma
tronution II annIiah III IN u.I! HI.
,,o.,s,ii,, $500 ~, i" ,tio Mceus JUS ~
The deiicatc c,,rrant ~ aIan,r;oit Ja,a1.
civ, Iifa Ina ,.ipor ,lo,Ht H. iii"s
HlH..t.tIi civ ISL - pldht Hlc. out
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