New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-17
DOING WORK ON FARMS

! previous years Germany was forced TO
! buy 100000 worth OF cattle food from;
| other countries"
"A practise much adopted abroad. par
| ticularly in Germany" says Mr.. Rooster.
where the government encourages cleo
trically operated farms. is TO install rural
central stations for the purpose Of sup
plying a number OF farms, rural indus
tries. country residences and estates with
electric current BY establishing such a
station, with either steam, water. oil or
gas power. a great saving in the produc-
ton Of electric energy may be readily Sc
cured. To-day in Germany often as high
as 100 10 $50 consumers are supplied with
electric energy from single rural central
station. such as have been installed In
great numbers within the last fifteen
years
In Northern Italy and throughout
Switzerland also there is considerable use
of the electric energy I'm agriculture and
by small rural communities. A network
OF distributing lines has been formed
drawing energy from numerous and scat
tered sources of hydro-electric power.
which are. however, interconnected. The
Swiss and Italian land proprietors and
small farmers throughout Western Eu-
rope have taken in large numbers to the
use OF electric light and electric power.
ARTIFICIAL CROP STIMULATION.
one of the most startling applications
OF the electric current to farming, de-
scrIbed by Mr.. Koester. is the artificial
stimulation OF crops. lie describes such
an installation as follows: "A netting
or a system OF copper wire, Is supported
over the area under cultivation from
poles about ten feet high. driven into the
ground at regular intervals. To insure
good results small barbs are woven into
the net, or copper wire, with points pro-
iecting downward. one. OF the feed wires
from the machine furnishing the electric
energy is connected to the net, or over
head wires the other is connected 10
conductor imbedded IN the earth below
the overhead net
when the machine is put in action an
electric current goes over the net and
then passes out Of the barbed points
through the air into the ground. In
passing through the air the current
causes ozone and nitrous compounds In
gaseous state 10 be formed, which are
carried into the ground. The current
passes through the soil and back into the
earth conductor. Being an alternating
current, the reverse action then takes
place. the current flowing from the earth
conductor TO the net overhead. In doing
so the chemical compounds formed on the
previous passage are now forced up into
the capillary system of the plants and
into the sap OF the plant This action
corresponds TO a tonic and increases the
growth of the stems, leaves. buds, etc.
The technical side of the construction.
cost and operation OF many different
kinds OF electrically operated farm ma
chinery is taken up in great detail by the
writer. all the way from milking cows
to cutting down trees in a forest too
dense TO permit the swinging OF an ak.
and from Matching chickens to creating
ozone in an electrically operated refrig-
Grating plant.
Large land owners and bankers In
agricultural regions" he says, should
cooperate ana advance the capital
necessary for such undertakings. They
would not only profit directly. but would
have the further benefit of greatly in
creased yields and profits from the land
Of their regions"