THE IEEIGATION AGE. 



279 



machines are put, their efficiency, power, and cost of 

 maintenance. Following are copies of some of the re- 

 plies: 



1. "The size of our wheel is 15 feet. The grinder 

 is a 10-inch plate. The wheel is about 60 feet above 

 the ground. We drive the grinder, pulper, and cutting 

 box, but intend to run a circular saw and pump water 

 with it. I think it has about 14 horse power in a good 

 fair wind. We find it satisfactory in every respect for 

 grinding, pulping, or cutting corn or straw. It has 

 not cost anything yet, only for oil." 



2. "Our wheel is 16 feet in diameter and 62 feet 

 above the ground. The machines we drive with it are 

 root cutter, emery wheel, pump, grinder, and straw cut- 

 ter. In an average wind it gives a horse-power of 12. 

 It has cost us 25 cents in three years for two bolts and 

 $1.00 for oil and axle grease. I advise any farmer of 

 100 acres or over to secure a 15-foot or 16-foot mill 

 when getting one, so that you can use the power if 

 necessary. A small mill, 8 or 12 feet, will not give 

 the satisfaction. We pulp from four to five thousand 

 bushels of roots per year, which will pay for a mill. 

 The mill is the most paying machine on the farm, and 

 no particular cost. 



PUMPING FOR IRRIGATION. 



3. "The size of our mill is 6 feet in diameter and 

 is fifty-five feet above the ground. The tank is thirty- 

 five barrels, and is elevated twenty feet from the 

 ground. The well is fifteen feet deep, and in an average 

 wind it takes from three to four hours to fill the tank. 

 The water is used for watering the lawn, house use, 

 bathroom, etc., and is arranged to pump either hard 

 or soft water from cistern or well. We use about fifteen 

 to twenty barrels of water in summer, and in winter 

 less. Our mill has been in use for about eight months, 

 and has cost 25 cents for oil. I might add that were 

 I an agriculturist I would consider the windmill indis- 

 pensable to the farm, it being adaptable to so many 

 ways as a labor-caving device, and adding greatly to 

 home comforts." 



4. "Our windmill is eight feet in diameter and 

 is fifty feet to the tower. The water is used in large 

 house (closet in house), and for twelve horses, twelve 

 cattle, and sometimes forty hogs. We have not had 

 much expense in maintaining the windmill, and could 

 hardly do without it." 



5. "The size of our windmill is 8 feet, and is 40 

 feet to the tower. The tank holds thirty-six barrels of 

 water and is twenty-five feet from the grovmd. The 

 well is about 55 feet deep, and in an average wind it 

 takes about three hours to fill the tank. We use from 

 50 to 100 pails of water per day. The cost of maintain- 

 ing the windmill is very little I should think about 

 $10 per year." 



THE ELECTRIC GENERATOR. 



The windmill power is well adapted to electric 

 lighting for the farm. The plant necessary is rather 

 expensive in first cost, but in maintenance it costs but 

 little. There is required besides the windmill, an elec- 

 tric generator, and a number of storage batteries, in 

 which the electric energy is stored while the windmill 

 runs, this energy to be afterward used in lighting. 

 Electric energy is measured by pressure, or voltage, and 

 by volume of current or amperage. A single incandes- 

 cent lamp requires 110 volts to light it to whiteness, 

 and a current of about half an ampere. A storage cell, 

 whether large or small, gives a pressure of about two 



volts, the different sizes of cells differing in the quan- 

 tity of current they give. Then cells may be arranged 

 in series, like horses, tandem, or in parallel, like horses 

 abreast. In series, the current they give is equal to 

 that of one cell only, while the voltage is proportional 

 to the number of cells. In parallel, the current is pro- 

 portional to the number of cells, while the voltage is 

 that of one single cell. If both voltage and volume of 

 current require to be increased, this may be done by a 

 series parallel arrangement. For instance, suppose that 

 the capacity of a single cell were 10 amperes of 2 volts 

 pressure, then 100 cells in series would give a 10-ampere 

 current of 200 volts pressure; a parallel arrangement 

 would give a 1,000-ampere current of 2 volts pressure, 

 and a series-parallel, with four rows of 25 in. series 

 would give a 40-ampere current of 50 volts. It may 

 thus be seen that to light even a limited number of 

 lamps nothing less than 55 or 60 cells in series would 

 do. Sixty-four small sized cells would light six 16 

 candle-power incandescent lamps for 8 hours, or twelve 

 lamps for 3 hours, without recharging. 



ECONOMY OF WINDMILL. 



The windmill is ample for most power purposes 

 on the farm. It is seldom that more than one machine 

 is required to operate at once. It is not likely that a 

 pump and a grinder or chopper could be run in a mod- 

 erate wind at the same time. Where much or varied 

 work is required of the mill, a larger one is more ser- 

 viceable and economical. 



In a comparison of the cost of windmill power 

 with any other, not the total capital outlay should be 

 considered, but the interest on the capital, a percentage 

 for depreciation of capital, an annual outlay for oil, 

 fuel, and attendance. The windmill may cost more in 

 capital outlay than other forms of power, but while the 

 interest on this may increase the charges against the 

 windmill, it must be borne in mind that a considerable 

 item of the cost in running other forms of power is in 

 fuel. For the windmill fuel costs nothing, and thus 

 the total charge against the windmill, as compared with 

 other prime movers, has been found to be, per horse- 

 power per hour, somewhat less; that is, the windmill 

 as a means of developing power is one of the most eco- 

 nomical, when the various factors of expense, as stated 

 above, are taken into consideration. In this connec- 

 tion we may consider the economy of electric lighting 

 by means of the windmill. The first cost, in addit ; on 

 to the windmill, would be quite considerable, probably, 

 for electric generator and storage batteries enough to 

 run eight or ten lights, about $400. The interest and 

 depreciation of capital for this would amount to, say, 

 10 per cent, $40.00. While this costs a great deal more, 

 no doubt, than the oil which is used for lighting on the 

 farm, yet when we consider the greater efficiency and 

 safety of the electric lighting, the greater protection 

 that it guarantees against loss by fire in barn and house, 

 this means of lighting may appeal to many as quite 

 practicable and acceptable in point of cost. At any 

 rate, for those who have thought of lighting by means 

 of windmill power and electric generator, these figures 

 are presented as a guide, so that persons who have the 

 matter in mind may sit down and count the cost before 

 embarking on the enterprise. 



Send $2.50 for The Irrigation Ate 

 1 yea.r, a.nd the Primer of Irrigation 



