Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-10-17
Electricity Best or Farm Servants,

A traveller through the country today
notices one thing more than any other,
and that Is the number of farms where
electric service is now used.
A few years ago, three or four at most.
the coal-oil lantern and lamp and the long
handled wooden pump, which stood in the
barnyard, and froze up solid every winter,
were symbols Of the farm, just as the street
car and the department store are symbols
OF the city With the farm were associated
ideas OF old-tashioned ways of doing things
of hard work and long hours.
But what change has taken place
Drive out into the country at night and
look at the farm houses you pass. In a
great many Of them. instead of the dim
glow that used to come from one or two
windows, or the bobbing point Of light that
marked lantern being carried up to the
house from the barn. you will see the whole
place brightly lighted. Drive into the barn
yard. Instead OF waiting while someone
at the house lights a lantern and comes
out, you'll suddenly find the whole yard
flooded with light from an electric lamp
on pole in the center of the yard. or
perhaps on a corner Of the barn. And
when your host comes out you'll find that
he has turned on the yard light from in
side the house.
Then he'll take you through the house
and barns and show you what difference
electricity can make on the farm.
As you 60 through the country you will
find surprisingly large number OF farms
electrically equipped And nearly all OF
this equipment has been put in within the
last three or four years. One manufac-
turer alone announces lover seventy-hve
thousand satisfied users. a surprising fact,
in view Of the farmers well-known ten
dency to make long and thorough inves-
tigatiOn before he buys anything in the
way of farm equipment
What. then. is the reason for this rapid
increase in the rural use of electricity
Simply this, that electricity has proved to
be wonderfully useful on the farm. Much
more so, in fact. than in city homes.
Electric light is not only superior to all
others as light. but is much more con-
venient, much safer, and, in farm usage,
saves a great amount of time The diff
ference between turning switch at the
house and lighting lantern has already
been mentioned, and this greater cOnven-
fence is found throughout Upstairs lights
can be switched on from the lower hall,
and even the barn may be lighted from
the house.
This convenience effects great saving
of time. The daily cleaning and filling Of
lamps is no longer necessary. There is no
walking from barn to the house to get
lantern. And in the barn itself, II Is found
that the well-placed electric lamps make
every movement surer and faster, saving
nearly half the time 1t used to take to do
the chores.
Electric light is safer too, particularly
in the barn. where the hazard Of fire from
an overturned lantern was formerly very
great
But electric power on the farm is even
more useful than electric light. An auto
matte water system will pump every drop
OF water formerly pumped by hand. sup
plying water under pressure at faucets all
over the house and barns. Electric motors
will do the making, separating. churning,
washing and sweeping. will turn the corn
shelter, tanning mill and grindstone Elec-
trio irons, fans. coasters and peTcOlatOrs
also make the household work much easier.
All of this electric service is enjoyed on
the farm at loW cost and with practi-
cally no bother. The best Of the farm
electric plants show a very low running
cost and are practically trouble proof.
Their engines are cooled by air, which does
away with the trouble Of carrying water
and the danger Of overbeatin9 or freezing.
They burn kerosene for fuel. Direct connec-
ton Of the generator and engine, automatic
fabrication, self-crankng and self-stopping
are other features Of up-to-date lighting
plants. which make them easy to care for
and operate And Of course with each en-
CINE and generator is storage battery
which furnishes light and power at all
times Of the day and night, whether the
generator is running or not.
Where the plant has been properly de-
signed and made. the owner is assured Of
satisfactory service. And he is not slow
to tell his neighbors about the kind Of
satisfaction he's getting. The result is that
where one good plant goes into rural COM
munity 1t is usually followed by several
more. That there are reliable plants on
the market is indicated by the figures
quoted above. And they surely show, too
that the farmer as class is taking an in
terest in the subject Of electricity for the
farm