252 



CANADIAN FARM YEAR BOOK. 



Electrical Power. 



Electricity as a source of power la 

 being considered by many fanners. It 

 would seem even simpler to operate 

 than the gasoline engine. Before re- 

 commending electricity we should 

 first make a comparison of operating 

 costs. A table is given elsewhere In 

 this chapter, which may be used to ad- 

 vantage. A comparison will show 

 that electricity at 5c a kilowatt hour 



Water 



The perfecting of individual water 

 systems has enabled the farmer to 

 draw water from the tap as readily 

 as the city dweller. There are two 

 systems, the overhead tank, and the 

 pressure tank system. Here again the 

 gasoline engine is very useful. The 

 power required to drive a pump Is 

 very small as will be noted in table 

 elsewhere in this chapter. As the de- 

 mand for water may be excessive for 

 short periods, a storage tank is neces- 

 sary in order that the work of the en- 

 gine may be divided over a longer 

 period. In the overhead system the 

 tank is placed at a high point In the 

 house or barn, and the water runs to 

 the outlets by gravity, or in other 

 words the pressure "at the top is re- 

 presented by the weight of a column 



is equal to gasoline at about S5c per 

 gallon. The price of hydro power in 

 Ontario must therefore be reduced, or 

 gasoline must increase considerably 

 in price before electricity 'becomes an 

 economical source of power to the 

 Ontario farmer. Another thing to be 

 considered, of course, is first cost. 

 This can be reduced to an annual 

 charge based on a percentage for In- 

 terest and depreciation. 



Systems. 



of water as high as surface of the 

 water in (the tank is ahove tihe tap. 

 The pressure system is generally con- 

 sidered more satisfactory doing away 

 with the necessity of supporting by 

 proper construction the weight of 

 water in the overhead tank. The 

 pressure tank delivers the water at 

 the outlet, no matter where located 

 at from 60 to 80 lbs per sq. inch. Many 

 manufacturers have a patented device 

 whereby this system is self regulating. 

 The engine or motor will stop pump- 

 ing when the air pressure in the tank 

 reaches a certain high point. As 

 water is drawn off the pressure will 

 fall until it reaches a certain low 

 point, when the engine will automati- 

 cally start pumping again. 



Individual Threshers. 



In recent years manufacturers have 

 developed a small threshing outfit 

 that may be owned and used with 

 economy by the individual farmer. A 

 few hours threshing after the grain is 

 harvested is sufficient for feed until 



the plowing season is over, and a 

 man and one helper can thresh 

 through the winter months his entire 

 crop, having both engine and thresher 

 in the barn. The noxious weeds car- 

 ried from a poorly run farm are also 

 avoided. 



