Electro-farming, or the applications of electricity to agriculture

The paper deals with the progress made since a previous one on the same subject. It is also a sequel to the report of the I.E.E. Committee on Electricity in Agriculture. The field covered by electro-farming is now so wide that the paper has been confined to the latest developments and the chief points about which information is at present required. These are classified under three headings:? ?The Rural Distribution System? draws attention to the importance of dealing with statistics on the basis of the route miles and not the area supplied. It is claimed that where a quarter of the area is arable land, the supply is profitable. ?The Farm Installation and its Uses? deals with the practical points which arise in planning a farm installation, including the special requirements of electric motors for farms. Reference is made to new methods of speed reduction and to a plan for improving the load factor by restrictive control of the larger apparatus. The latest developments are discussed, such as intensive illumination for stimulating plant growth, and the possibilities ofincreasing the yield of honey. The last heading covers some of the aspects of ?Work on the Land, and Haulage?. The most important feature is electric ploughing, which ensures a profitable load for the supply undertaking. A specification is given of the author´s ideal of an electric tractor suitable for the smaller farm. It is designed for ploughing as well as all other field operations and general haulage, and is fitted with a half creeper track and also a storage battery. The object of the latter is to enable the tractor to proceed from field to field and also to haul loads on the public roads. When carrying out field work it is intended that the machine should take its supply from overhead lines by means of a cable laid on the ground. Mention is made of a method for reducing plough friction by making the plough coulter alive. Other matters dealt with are: rotary tillers, progress in making hay without- sunshine, new developments in electro-silage, and a central method for liquid-manure distribution over farm lands. In an Appendix, a bibliography of the more important references to the subject is provided. Generally, the paper sums up the results of a great deal of full-scale experimental work carried out by the author.