ELECTRICITY'S USES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 127, 25 November 1929, Page 10

ELECTRICITY'S USES

IN FARM AND HOME

COMMITTEE'S INVESTIGATIONS

The relation of electricity to agriculture is a very wide subject, and is one in which great potentialities are evident. . The range covered embraces the uses of electricity as a motive power for agricultural machinery down to electricity as a horticultural aid and to electric light as a stimulus to the domestic fowl's daily output, and as a bait for injurious insects. The com; mittee of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, recently set up to deal with this subject, at its recent meeting, traversed the main phases of the question. The application of electricity to general farming operations was one subject of discussion, and covered a wide scope. In respect to sheep-shear-ing, the opinion was expressed by several members of the committee that the present ■ cost of sheep-shearing outfit appears to be excessive, and that a larger demand would arise if the price were brought down to what appears to be a reasonable one for the amount of work involved in the machine. It was decided to make inquiries as to whether a smaller and simpler outfit could not be obtained for use by small farmers. It was considered by the committee that there are many places in New Zealand where, with water at a comparatively little depth, irrigation would be worth while. It was therefore resolved to obtain information on this point. Threshing, ploughing, and other allied farm operations could all be aided by the use of electricity, it was stated, and a special sub-committee was set up to deal with this side of the question. Electricity in dairy farming operations also came under consideration. Other possible uses of electricity discussed included electric motors for fruit spraying, the use of electricity in drying tobacco and dehydrating fruit; its use" in greenhouse heating, and in heating the ground; as a means of preventing frosts in orchards; and as a heater for incubators. The various uses of electricity for domestic purposes were also under review. Certain poultry farmers, it was stated, were already investigating the advantages of haying electric lights in hen-houses in order to start the hens scratching earlier in the day. Another novel use for electric light, it was suggested, would be to use it to attract the beetle of the grass grub, thereby luring it to its doom in an insectoeutor. The committee's deliberations on these subjects were generally of a .preliminary nature in order that a comprehensive programme of investigational work could be drawn up.