Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-05-23
ELECTRICITY ON THE FARM

If it is an average sized farm
140 acres--it will require from T.
900 to 5000 hours for three work
ers,-the owner or manager, hired
man and the farmers wife.
If it is your desire and purpose to
increase the production on your
farm it will be necessary to increase
the number of working hours, or to
make these hours count" for more
than they ordinarily would.
Or it may be that you are finding
it necessary to get along without the
hired man, as many others are doing.
That means a reduction of some
$500 to $500 working hours (not
counting the hired man for the full
year, and production must be low
cred or again some way must be
found to make the hours count"
for more than usual.
While we do not always stop to
think of it. we have been trying for
years to make the hours count" for
more on the farm, in other words to
increase the efficiency of the work
ers 1t is to this end that we have
come to use the improved machin-
cry TO replace hand labor.
OllG VI tue luUSt lnOUtlH aus W
the farmer and his household is ell
ectricity. In most instances this is
secured from private electric plant
installed on the farmers own prem
Uses, because most farm homes are
beyond reach of the central power
station
Usually the farmer secures an
electric plant with the idea of get
ting most of the benefit from the
electric light And it is very con-
siderable benefit, for aside from the
pleasure and satisfaction of having
the most modern form of home-light-
ing, there is considerable saving
of time and labor about the house
and barn when the kerosene lamps
and lanterns are put away and the
light is obtained by just turning @
switch If this saving is only one
half hour a day, that is $50 hours
a year saved. TO be added to the pro-
ductive working time.
II is in the use of electric power,
however that the most striking ex-
amples of time and labor saving are
found.
Whenever there is machine
about the place that some one must
ordinarily turn with a crank, that
machine can be run with a small
electric motor at a saving of time
and labor that every farmer is in
duty bound to consider at the pres
ent time.
Take the churn, cream separator,
washing machine. With an electric
motor there will be a saving. OH an
average, of from 21a to 8 u hours a
week from each of these machines.
from the farmers own
plant to run these machines will
cost no more than two cents an hour.
They can all be run by the same
small portable motor and nine hours
a week, let us say, can be saved
for necessary hand labor. Nine
hours a week are 46S hours more a
year to be devoted to productive
work.
If the farm dairy herd is MIXED
with a milking machine. that too can
be run with electricity. with a min
imum of care and attention and
with a saving of an hour or more
for the milking So let's add to the
annual saving at least 365 hours on
account of the milking machine.
Then there are machines used oc-
like the grindstone, the
fannig mill, horse clippers or sheep
shears, sausage grinders and others
that the farmer will be able to OPP
crate, the saving from which would
easily total another 100 hours per
year.
One of the most striking instances
of time and labor saving is found
where water pressure system is
operated by means of an electric
motor. This is an absolutely auto
matte system. in which the motor
runs when the pressure in the tank
goes down and in which water is
a a pressure sufficient
TO force water through pipes to
faucets all about the premises.
Thus one can have water piped
for complete household service
kitchen, bath and laundry-wi without
any of the laborious pumping and
for watering the stock
any pumping. for fire pro-
lection and for all the many uses
that one finds for water about the
farm, all this with every bit of the
ease and convenience that are en-
joyed in the modern city property.
For the average farm there is a
possible time and labor saving of
two hours a day where a modern
water system electrically operated is
used. Two hours a day is another
$50 hours per year to be added to
our annual saving.
There are other ways of saving
about the farm by means of the use
Of electricity, such as the use of the
electric iron on ironing day, the OPP
Grafton of little grinders and the
like, but the total of the items men
toned runs up to surprising figures
-1743 hours year.
Over 100 hours to be added to
the productive working time on the
average farm: equal to three fourths
Of the time of hired man for the
seven or eight months he is actively
employed on the farm.
When you get your newspaper
you look with tremendous interest
to see what the boys are doing lover
there" Wouldn't it discourage you
to get the idea that they were not
doing everything they could to in
sure victory?
If they are to be kept in the full
flush of hope and courage, they
must know that all our resources
are being employed as never before
in their behalf They must not have
any reason to believe that the folks
back home are failing in any par
to hold up their hands, to
keep them fed and clothed and in
every way supported in this time Of
their sacrifice
The farmer knows that the en-
ployment OF modern equipment.
driven by electricity can add 1900
productive working hours to the
time now available on farm. and
cart ninlu ho knowS that he nWps IL