Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-07-06
FARMING BY ELECTRICITY
What Niagara Power Can Do
For Western New York.
APPLIED IN GERMANY.

All Sorts of Machinery Now
Availabe-UtiIized in the Prep
araton 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 tne
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 ad-
vantage over German farmers in that
| current will 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 447 acres near
konigsberg is large producer of
milk and butter. The daily product
of milk is 900 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 2h horse
power motor runs carrot cutter. Two
small motors are portable and are
| drawn to various parts of the farm
and connected with power cables.
Crushing faxseed, driving pumps,
saws, grain machinery lathes, drills,
seed cleaners, cream separators, but
ter workers and churns are 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,
has given a number of lectures unUer
Government auspices at the Agricul-
tural Institute at Gembloux and his
views are startling to Americans:
Electricity passing through a plant
from air to earth or vice versa de-
oomposes carbonic acid gas In the
| chlorophyI, which is essential to plant
|
aecomposed by passing currents and
nourishing elements are readily as
simulated Circulation of the sap. IS
increased by electro capillary erect
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
wonderful future as a farming coun-
try.
In some of the experiments con-
Quoted abroad galvanized iron rods
were Set about a growing field Of grain,
vegetables or berries as distributors
of current
connected by wires with the source
of current and the supply regulated
by conditions of the atmosphere, the
soil and amount of water in the
ground. Field experiments in cleo
triiying grain have shown as high as
50 per cent. increase in growth over
grain not so treated.
Other experiments frequently show
ed As to 55 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 laying" of wine is now accom-
| plished by the use of electricity. Elec-
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 for
/ immediate plant use. 1t is usually de-
, llyered 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
power at IS cents for 22046 pounds.