The Tupelo journal., 1908-09-25
New Power for the Farm.

The little motor threatens to e
lutionize the back-breaking business of
farming, just as it has almost every
other industry in the world. Hundreds
of farmers are looking over the pros
poets of a plant on their premises and
are making estimates of the cost.
In establishing such a plant the mi
tial cost ranges anywhere from SIS up.
as no estimates can be given without
locations, facts and full details with
figures.
or course in establishing such a
plant steam power Is out of the ques-
ton, as it demands too much time and
attention and the cost for fuel would
eat up the profit of the undertaking.
Some good source of power Is re-
CURED and very naturally the farmer
looks to the elements for it. Water
power appeals to him first, and II for
tunate enough to have a stream of any
size and fall on his premises the pow
or question resolves itself into the
easiest way to harness the water.
If the fall Is great a storage reser-
voir will be required with piping; If
there is only a few feet of fall a dam
of the flow type will have to be con-
structed.
The small turbine water wheel and
dynamo, directly connected, and other
fixtures are installed in a tiny power
house. The current is led to the vari-
GUS buildings by insulated wires sup
ported by poles.
Such a plant requires little atten-
ton; no more than oiling once in a
while and enough current can be gen
Grated to light the home, do the family
cooking, washing and ironing, and ever
to run all the farm machinery if the
generator is large enough.
E. B. Miner of Oriskany Falls, N. y,
has such a plant and with only about
six feet of fall he gets enough current
to do all the hard work about the
place, such as running the churn, sep
arator, t%hresher, silo cutter, grinders
and to light and neat the house.
The greater the fall the less water
is required, and all these things have
to be figured out in estimating the cost
II such a plant.
In the West a number of farmers
utilize their windmills to generate III
rent for light and heat. A storage bat
terry is provided to store away enough
current to last a day or two in case
the wind falls.
In California even the Sun is har-
messed to develop electrical power.
Huge refectors follow the course of
the sun and focus the rays on the
boiler. The steam is conveyed to a
small engine which whirls the genera
tor.
Pat Mobiles of Indiana has construct
ed a plant which is a combination of
both wind and water power.
The 14-foot windmill on a 50-foot
tower drives a plunger pump which de-
liverS water to a cylindrical reservoir.
The pressure in the reservoir is auto
matically maintained at rs pounds per
square inch by means of weights plac-
ed upon a plunger in the cylinder.
This water, under constant pressure,
is used to drive a one-half horse power
turbine water wheel directly connect
ed to a one-fourth horse power 20.
volt dynamo, arranged to charge a
storage battery of II cells.
The battery has a capacity sufficient
to supply electricity for 20 eight-candle
power lamps three hours, or 10 similar
lamps for six hours, when operated
alone.
During the winter the windmill has
to run but five hours to supply the
needed current and during the summer
but two hours.
In a number of communities where
there is abundant water power and the
farms are close together the farmers
have joined issues and erected 4 lnu-
tual plant, dividing the generated cur
rem among their respective farms.