330 Electricity at Greater Felcottrt Farm. [July, 



Although wide use is made of electricity on the author's farm, 

 it is not yet employed to anything like the extent to which ulti- 

 mately it will be. It is only after exhaustive investigation, both 

 of methods and equipment, that new applications are introduced. 

 As the whole object of applying electricity to farming is to 

 reduce costs and increase profits, the commercial aspect of each 

 development is very carefully considered beforehand. The 

 actual results are carefully analysed by means of a very detailed 

 application of the author's Auto-Countancy system. 



As a result of such investigation, it has been shown beyond 

 all doubt that electricity applied on correct lines to agriculture 

 possesses economic advantages which no other source of power 

 can offer. 



Electric Lighting. — The use of electric light not only makes 

 for cleanliness and convenience of working, but owing to the 

 absence of flame, reduces fire risk, a matter of importance where 

 such inflammable materials as hay and straw are concerned. 

 Experience, however, has shown that besides these obvious ad~ 

 vantages, electric lighting on the farm can actually be made a 

 source of profit. 



To take the simplest case, it has been found that by installing 

 electric light in the poultry houses, and thereby increasing the 

 hours of light during the winter months, an increase in the 

 winter egg production of at least 10 per cent, can be secured. 

 When it is considered that the cost of lighting is only about one 

 penny per bird per annum it will be seen that the return due to 

 this application of electricity is very great. 



One interesting result of the installation of electric light in tha 

 author's cow byres is that the cost of the current (at 4d. per 

 unit) is paid by the saving resulting from the prevention of milk 

 spillage due to better lighting. Although but little work has yet 

 been done on the subject, there is no doubt that electric lighting 

 will ultimately play a very great part in bringing both animals 

 and plants more quickly to maturity. Eecent experience with 

 lambs, and also with flowers, such as tulips, has been very 

 promising. 



Where electricity is used for increasing the hours of light, 

 it can be switched on and off by means of very simple automatic 

 devices, known as " time switches." Thus it is not necessary 

 to increase the hours of work on the farm, in order to obtain 

 the advantage of a longer feeding day. In fact, by the provision 

 of suitable hoppers, which can be filled at convenient times 

 during working hours, labour and inconvenience are actually 

 reduced as compared with ordinary methods. 



