The Home Engine of Many Uses 



The portable gasoline engine makes possible the watering of lawns and parks where the 

 source of water supply is a nearby lake or stream 



THE farmer is probably buying 

 more gas engine horse power to- 

 day than any other half dozen 

 general classes. Besides being the most 

 generous purchaser of motor cars and 

 practically the sole buyer of tractors, he 

 purchases the greater part of the half 

 million stationary and portable engines 

 turned out annually by several hundred 

 American manufacturers. 



Few farms are now without a gaso- 

 line or kerosene engine — many have 

 two, and some of .only fair size have five 

 or six, all busy. The average size of 

 engine is increasing rapidly (now prob- 

 ably about six horse power) and as 

 farmers become more familiar with 

 them, these handy power plants are 

 daily put to a more varied and more 

 nearly constant use. 



The great majority consume gasoline. 

 The danger of a gasoline famine, so im- 

 minent a few years ago, has been averted 

 for the present, at least, and the heavy- 

 oil engine has not made much headway 

 in the small units adapted to the farm. 



Farm engines, other than tractors, are 

 almost wholly of the single-cylinder type, 

 both vertical and horizontal being widely 

 used. Some manufacturers make both, 

 not only to give the farmer his choice, 

 but to provide more than one dealer in 

 a town with an "exclusive" agency. 



Most of these engines are stationary 

 or semi-portable, i. e., mounted on skids. 

 Many are portable (on wheels), and this 

 is especially true of the larger sizes. The 



usual range is from one to thirty horse 

 power. Roughly speaking, skid-mounted 

 engines range from one to eight horse 

 power, and the portable from ten to 

 thirty-five horse power or larger. The 

 tractor has taken the place of many of 

 the larger portable units, and is rapidly 

 encroaching on the smaller portable field. 

 However, there is a growing demand for 

 the light-weight, high grade throttle 

 governed type, so easily adaptable to 

 many uses. 



The versatility of' the gasoline engine 

 in the farmer's hands is really remark- 

 able. A one horse power model may 

 play the part of a chore boy about the 

 house, while a larger size may be at work 

 around the barn and a still larger one be 

 doing heavy work somewhere in the 

 open. 



The washing machine, cream separa- 

 tor, sewing machine, churn, grindstone 

 and some of the lighter machines in the 

 workshop call for the smallest engines. 

 A two or three horse power engine may 

 be the mainstay of the farm water 

 system and run the milking machine. 

 The electric lighting plant, plus the work 

 just mentioned, may call for four or five 

 horse power, whereupon the corn sheller 

 and feed grinder are brought in to keep 

 the power plant busy. 



From this point upward the character 

 of work changes less than the size of 

 machine for doing it. Saws, feed mills, 

 grain elevators, hay balers, etc., may use 

 only a few horse power or the full 



212 



