The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1920-07-14

himself, for IL relieves her Of much
OF the drudgery OF homework and
adds greatly to the comfort OF farm
life.
The farmers needs go hand in hand
with those of the wife, so, in consid-
ering the size OF the power plant to
be installed, he should include her re-
quirements as we'll as his own The
desirability of dependable, conven-
lent, and cheap supply of electric cur
rent for use for light and power pur-
poses on country places is so manifest
that one is justified usually in going
to some lengths to secure il. 1t is
advisable to put in plant somewhat
larger than the needs of the moment
require. An additional horsepower or
two will not greatly change the first
cost, while use will always be found
for any original excess.
Supplies Over 10 Horsepower.
A stream 10 feet wide with an aver
age depth of 2 feet and flowing at the
rate of feet second under head
of feet is capable of supplying over
10 horsepower, according to estimates
made by engineers, of the Division OF
Rural Engineering, Bureau of Public
Roads, of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture that have been
investigating the utilization of farm
streams as sources of energy for gen.
Grating electricity. Ten horsepower is
equivalent to about IA kilowatts,
which is sufficient electricity for all
lighting on the average farmstead and
for operating motors for many of the
usual needs for power, such as the
washing machine, milking machine,
separator, churn, feed grinder, tanning
mill, etc. If the head could be made
10 feet instead of 5, the horsepower
could be doubled Or if the stream we're
twice as wide or twice as deep with
but a 5-foot head the result would
be the same
The minimum condition under
which an installation should be con-
sidered are, roughly, a flow of 100
gallons per minute and head of 10
feet, or the equivalent. Under these
conditions the amount of electricy
generated continuously is small, but
by permitting the plant to run contin-
ously and storing the current gener-
ated in storage batteries, supply
may be always at hand for the light
ing and small power requirements of
the farm.
Small and Large Plants
A plant capable of furnishing cur
rent for as many of so to 100 lights
for the house, barn, outbuildings, yard
and drives; providing ample current
for washing, ironing, vacuum clean
ing. electric fans, coasters, percola-
tors, hot plates, sewing machine, etc,
for all cooking, heating of water and
the house in the coolest weather, as
well as for operating motors for all
the various farming operations even
during thrashing time, necessarily
must be considered the exception. On
the other hand, the smallest plant
which is worthy of consideration is
one having capacity of but 8 to
10 lights.
Between these two extremes, there
exist to-day on our farms the means
of developing thousands of plants
large enough to supply between 5
and 10 horsepower during all seasons
of the year. 1t will be found that
these plants will fill the needs of the
average farm and provide an excess
for emergencies. The cost may be
considered we'll within the reach of
of owners today.
Where conditions offer the oppor-
tunity for development, the first step
is to determine the quantity of water
which is available. This may be done
preferably by either, the weir of eros
section velocity methods. Unless the
stream is of such width as to entail
too large an outlay for the construc-
ton of weir dam, the former method
should be used as more accurate re-
suits are obtained with it. Neither me-
thod requires any special technical
skill if one will follow directions care.
fully. Both methods are described
fully in Yearbook Separate no, "Elec-
trio Lights and Power from Small
Streams" copies of which are avail
able for free distribution from the
Division Of prhlica tions limited