The Glenwood post., 1917-09-15
CITY LIGHTS FOR FARM HOMES

A visit to the farm of w. j. Hather
near Ord convinced me of the worth of
electric farm lighting plants. He
bought his outfit last December at
cost of $3.50 complete. This included
everything from the 400 feet of wire
running to the barn, granary, garage,
milk house, hog barn, and sheds, to the
half dozen extra fuses, and vacuum
cleaner. This is single unit outfit,
which means that the engine and dy-
namo are together, as one piece If
machinery.
The work of installing was simplicity
in itself, and was done by the farm
help. Instructions and directions which
came with the outfit were easy to fol
low. A dry goods box was filled with
concrete for the foundation in the base
ment of the house. The battery cells are
lined> up against the wall, and Mr..
Hather says that there is no expense
whatever in their upkeep. Twice a
month cells are supplied with little
rain water, just enough to raise the
level to a certain mark in the glass
receptacles.
On wash days the motor does the hard
work for a cent or two, and seems 10
enjoy it. On this day the engine is run
about an hour, while on other days the
engine runs the dynamo for few min
utes, just enough to keep the batteries
fully charged. The electric flat iron
seems to require more "juice' than
any other attachment, and while this
is being used, the engine and dynamo
are also kept in operation.
A 6O-watt light from the top of the
windmill lights up the whole yard nice
ly. The garage, too, not only has sta
tionary light overhead, but also one at
the end of flexible cord, with which
every part of the car may be invest
gated. =. avn 4 1ss|
The milk house is not far from the
well, and Mr.. Hather intends to install
a small motor there to operate not only
the separator and churn, but also the
pump. He will do this by running a
wooden beam from the pump to pit
man and large wheel connected to the
motor. Although gasoline engine of
y horsepower usually is required TO
do such work as this, "a horsepower
motor will actually pump water and
turn the churn or washing machine at
the same time. The reason is that
power in the motor is continuous, or
practically so. Every pole or Iamina.
ton in motor is equivalent to cyl
inder in gas engine, and good motor
has from 10 to 80 poles.
1t is easily possible to supply water
to all parts of the house either by
gravity tank in the attic, or pressure
tank in the basement. While the grav.
ity tank is cheaper, it has its faults
Danger of freezing is one, and the pos.
sibilty of springing leak is ever pres
ent, though remote Where it can be af-
forded it is the better plan to install a
pressure tank, although some farmers
have dug reservoirs on nearby hilsidcs
which give the best of results
With an average upkeep cost of 8
cents day, it is difficult to see why
such an outfit should not be good in
vestment, if not almost necessity.
With such an outfit alone, the house
wife will be able to do much more work
in the same time and do it more easily.
In many cases this will avoid the me-
cessity for hiring extra house help. she
can sweep, churn, wash, iron, pump,
water the garden ,and do dozen other
things with very little exertion She
has better light in the house by which
to sew read and work. She has the ad-
vantage Of an electric fan in hot wealth
er. And she has all this for ceats
day! Could she spend cents to bet
ter advantage?
AS for the farmer, he not only has
the benefit of all the advantages found
in the house-water, light, bath room,
running water-but with a switch at
his elbow in every doorway, the chores
are as easily done in the short days as
in the long ones. Besides there is NO
safer light to use. A light in the har-
ness room, one behind the stalls, and ono
in the NOW, take away the drawbacks
of putting up the team after possi-
BILE night trip.-D. R. Van Horn, Val
ley County, Neb.