204 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



equivalent to a rainfall of nine inches. 

 How much the plant gets depends on the 

 cultivation given the soil to check evapo- 

 ration. On a majority of Kansas farms 

 all corn-stalks in excess of 8,000 per acre 

 are weeds, robbing the 8,000 plants of the 

 moisture they so much need to perfect the 

 grain. If one stalk in five square feet of 

 ground can not perfect the seed, how much 

 less likely are two stalks occupying the 

 same territory to do so? Every surplus 

 plant is a "dog in the manger," that can 

 not bear fruit itself and prevents its neigh- 

 bor from doing so by stealing its moisture. 

 Seed corn should be selected from the 



stalks that have shown best adaptability 

 to their environment and best withstood 

 adverse conditions. This selection should 

 be made when the ear is ripening, and 

 stalks marked by tying a red tag on each 

 one. When corn is ripe these marked 

 ears can be picked and put away for 

 seed. 



Study the growth of roots and soil con- 

 ditions where the best corn-stalk on the 

 farm grows; also the roots and soil where 

 the poorest corn grows. A comparison 

 will help to a better knowledge of what 

 the corn plant needs and to better methods 

 of cultivation. 



THE ELECTRIC PLOW IN GERMANY. 



BY W. C. FITZSIMMONS. 



IN the October Consular Reports, Mr. 

 Otto Doederlein, United States consul 

 at Leipsic, Germany, gave a most interest- 

 ing account of the practical operations of 

 a plow propelled by electrical power, and 

 giving great satisfaction. 



The details cannot be here given, but 

 it may be stated that electricity as a prac- 

 tical feature in the most important of all 

 farm work, that of hauling the plow, is 

 fully established. To show this it is only 

 necessary to give the final figures of cost 

 as compared with that of plowing by 

 means of animal power and steam. As- 

 suming that the farmer has a ten-horse 

 power threshing engine to run the dynamo, 

 the cost of plowing an acre of land to a 

 depth of 9.24 inches is given at $1.29 

 per acre, as against $2.74, the cost of doing 

 the work with oxen. Under favorable 

 conditions the expense could be reduced 

 to $1.14 per acre. In all cases it was less 

 than one-half that of doing similar work 

 with oxen. 



It was also found that, as compared 

 with plowing by steam, the cost by 

 electricity was less than half. Whether for 

 work on a large or small farm the Ger- 

 mans have found electricity much the 

 cheaper motive power for the plow. In 

 this connection we quote the words of the 

 consul as follows: 



"It is thus evident that the working 

 expenses of the electric plow for extensive 

 husbandry amount to less than half of 

 those incurred in working the steam plow. 

 This contrast is readily explained, for the 

 capital sunk in the plant is only one- 

 third of that required for the steam plow; 

 the expenses connected with the genera- 

 ting of power are materially lower than 

 is the case with the steam plow, in which 

 a very considerable surplus power has to 

 be raised in order to work the pulleys and 

 brakes and to overcome the stiffness of 

 the rope. 



"I have been informed by the director 

 of the Haale factory that electricity will 

 shortly be also used in digging potatoes 

 and sugar beets." 



Bight here is an opportunity for West- 

 ern manufacturers as well as for those in- 

 terested in the development of electrical 

 power. We have almost unlimited water 

 power in the arid States in the mount- 

 ain streams which can be and at no 

 distant day will be utilized for hauling 

 plows and doing other farm and ranch 

 work on our great plains and in our fertile 

 valleys. 



The door to an immense industrial de- 

 velopment stands wide open before our 

 men of capital and enterprise. Will they 

 enter and reap the rich rewards ? 



