568 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



[dec, 



Tests for Farmers' Milk. — In connection with the arrange- 

 ments made in a number of counties in Great Britain for 

 testing milk for farmers, dairymen, and 



^iseeHaiieous cowkeepers (see Leaflet 146), Mr. T 

 Hacking, of the Countess of Warwick's 

 Secondary and Agricultural School, Bigods Hall, Dunmow, 

 Essex, has now arranged to carry out tests on similar lines for 

 farmers in Essex at the rate of 6d. per sample. Milk testing 

 has for a long time been taught at this school, and samples have 

 in the past been tested from time to time for milk-sellers and 

 dairymen. 



Electricity as a Motive Pozver on the Farm. — An interesting 

 example of an attempt to use the power from waterfalls for pro- 

 ducing electricity is mentioned in La Nature (Nov. 24th, 1906), as 

 having been successfully accomplished in France in the depart- 

 ment of Aisne. Three falls, situated on two little streams, were 

 employed, giving about 200 horse-power, and to this was added a 

 steam engine of 100 horse-power. Three generating stations 

 Were constructed, joined up in such a way that each could supply 

 the whole district, the others being in use according to necessity. 

 Thirteen villages are supplied at varying distances from the 

 central station up to about five miles, the energy being con- 

 ducted by overhead wires at a high tension (3,200 volts), and 

 transformed at the point of utilization to a low tension (no 

 volts). Twenty-four motors have actually been installed, seven- 

 teen of which drive threshing machines, grain crushers, cake 

 crushers, winnowing machines, &c. ; three are in sugar 

 factories, one in a wheelwright's, one in a baker's, and two in 

 flour mills. 



In addition to a reduction of cost, it is claimed in favour of 

 the electric motor that it can be used at any time without 

 delay, whereas a steam engine requires time to get up steam ; 

 that small farmers can purchase an electric motor at a much 

 less cost than a steam engine ; and that a farmer can more fully 

 employ his men, especially when in bad weather they are obliged 

 to return from the fields after perhaps half a day's work. 



