Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-07-21
FARMING BY ELECTRICITY
What Niagara Power Can Do
For Western New York.
APPLIED IN GERMANY.
German Experiments in Plant Cul-
ture Suggest Great Possibilities
All Sorts Of Machinery Now
Available--utlized in the Prep.
sration of Fertilizers and Puri.
fication of Water.


aration of Fertilizers and Puri
fication of Water.
The scientific farmer of the future
will direct his farming operations from
a central station, where he will con-
troll electricity for the germanization
Of his crops, the tillage and fertiliz-
ing of the soil and its irrigation or
| drainage.
| Germany furnishes examples of tie
uses to which electricity may be put
in farming. Some of the large Ger
man sugar beet farms now have their
own electric plants, supplying light
and power for great variety of OPP
| erations. The farmers of Western
New York will have an immense adj
vantage over German farmers in that
current viii be delivered on their
farms at no cost to them but for cur
| rent used.
| In contrast to this convenience the
| German farmers using electricity have
| had to establish a costly steam gener-
| ating system or harness some stream.
| The Quednau farm of AT acres near
| Konigsberg is a large producer of
milk and butter. The daily product
| of milk is 200 gallons.
A 50-horse power engine generating
| 500 volts furnishes curren for three
| motors used about the farm for scores
Of purposes that manual labor for
merly accomplished. One ia horse
power motor runs a carrot cutter. TWO
small motors are portable and are
| drawn to various parts of the farm
and connected with power cables.
Crushing Aaxseed, driving pumps,
saws, grain machinery, lathes, drills,
seed cleaners, cream separators. but
ter workers and churns are a few or
the uses to which the portable motors
are put.
The Simmern farm on the Simmern
River, Germany, secures electric pow
er from a falls in that stream and
turbine driven dynamos This method
is, of course, much cheaper than that
employed on the Quednau farm.
Prof. Guerini. Belgian scientist,
Government auspices at the Agricui-
tural Institute at Gembloux and his
views are startling to Americans:
Electricity passing through plant
| from air to earth or vice versa de-
Composes carbonic acid gas in the
chlorophyl,, which is essential to plant
growth Soil chemicals are likewise
decomposed by passing currents and
nourishing elements are readily as
simulated. Circulation of the sap is
increased by electro capillary effect
by which water and other nourishing
materials are drawn up into the plant,
tree or vine"
If these things are to be realized
in this country, western New York
with its cheap electric power has a
wonderful future as a farming coun-
try.
In some of the experiments con-
Quoted abroad galvanized iron rods
were set about growing field Of grain,
vegetables or berries as distributors
OF current.
The galvanized iron conductors were
connected by wires with the source
of current and the supply regulated
by conditions of the atmosphere, the
soil and amount of water in Tie
ground Field experiments in cleo
trifying grain have shown as high as
IS per cent. increase in growth over
grain not so treated.
Other experiments frequently show
ed As to So per cent. increase for grain
and 50 per cent. for raspberries. Peas
freely watered increased rs per cent.
with electric aid, while peas not water
ed did better without electric current.
This is explained by saying that the
accelerated digestive powers of the
plants require more food and drink"
The "aging" of wine is now accom-
plished by the use of electricity, klec-
trolysis. decomposition by electrical
force. is the method applied. In the
same way water is now purified in
Amiens, Boulogne, Lebourne and
Philadelphia by electricity.
One way that the tremendous pow
er of Niagara can be utilized for the
enrichment of the land is in the pro-
auction of nitric acid for fertilizing
| purposes Nitric acid salts produce
almost marvellous results in the plant
| world.
The secret of the wonderful growing
| quality of nitric acid fertilizers lies in
| the availability of their elements Tor
| immediate plant use. 1t is usually de-
| hvered to the farm in the form Of nj
| trate of potassa and soda or nitrate
Of lime. Prof Guarini states that nj
| trio acid can be produced with Niagara
| mower at IS cents for 220.46 pounds
| Libel in Old Times