The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-08-06

POWER STATION ON A FARM IN NEW YORK
STATE.
most suitable, intermediate stationary
or portable transformers being used
to step the voltage down to that de-
sired on the motors of the plows.
thrashing machines, etc.
1t lis generally recognized that cen
trail stations and public utility compa-
MES are, the best sources of supply
from which to draw electricity, owing
to their reliability. cheapness and con-
venience.
When the user, however, IS located
beyond the reach of the distributing
lines Of central station companies 1t
is necessary to install an isolated plant
to supply light. heat and power. and
such plant Is much more profitable
investment than the installation Of
other kinds Of power, such as individ-
ual gas, oil or steam engines. to OPP
crate the different farm machines.
For the purpose of generating cleo
tricity In isolated plants various forms
Of power are utilized. depending OH the
locality and the source Of fuel or water
supply.
A practice much adopted abroad. par
eminent encourages electrically Ope-
rated farms, Is to install rural central
stations for the purpose of supplying
a number Of farms, rural industries.
country residences and estates with
electric current. BY establishing such
q station, with either a steam. water.
oil or gas plant, a great saving in the
production Of electric energy may be
readily secured. Today in Germany
often as high as 100 to $50 consumers
are supplied with electric energy from
n 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 in agricul-
ture and by small rural communities.
A network of distributing lines has
been formed, drawing energy from nu-
merous and scattered sources of n.y.
dro-electric power, which are, however.
interconnected. The Swiss and Italian
land proprietors and small farmers
throughout western Europe have ia
ken in large numbers to the use Of
electric light and electric power.
Many Of the German farmers carry
on industries in connection with their
farms, whereby they utilize their by
products, and this is the secret Of the
success Of many we'll to do men. For
instance, one rural central station sys-
tenn may serve four grist mills with
FIVE motors, having total capacity Of
105 horsepower, one tile works with a
40 horsepower motor, one sawmill with
a 20 horsepower motor, four wheel
wrights with motors consuming 16
horsepower and many other industries,
such as cabinet making, distilling,
blacksmithing, bottling works, ETC.,
which use motors Of various capacities.
There are also served by the system
some twenty consumers for light only,
having a total of 243 ncandescent
lamps and five arc lamps, one rail-
way and freight station with 100 in
candescent lamps. one clubhouse with
seventy-two lamps and six arc lights,
and, in addition to this, two towns are
supplied, having total of 1,692 lamps.
From the above facts and figures It
is obvious that electricity can give a
new stimulus to agriculture and farm
ing, and mt the same time open a new
way by which the rural population can
be induced to remain on the farm in
stead Of docking to the cities.