THE FARM.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13647, 12 February 1913, Page 8

THE FARM.

FARMERS AND ELECTRICITY

The latest development is an effort to bring home to the farmers tho useful maid-of-all-work which ho. is neglecting—electricity. In America there oro travelling shows ■ which tour tho country in the same way "a? an itinerant circus. A epacious canvas tent and a multitude of mechanical devices, on© and all dependent upon electricity, are hauled by powerful electric trucks from place to place. When the show reaches a promising centre the tent is pitched upon a suitable piece of ground, and the numerous tools are set up under working conditions. In one corner machines may be seen coupled to tiny motors to perform such operations as jfimping, driving threshing machines and wood splitting, bone crushing and unloading hay, being set in motion and stopped by the movement of a handle. In another section the advantages of electric.lighting are driven home; and another is divided by partitions to represent stalls in a cattle shed where cow® are being-milked by electrical devils, with churns, -etc., whizzing merrily near by in tho preparation of milk for diflfferent purposes. Not a single duty on the farm is overlooked; electricity is applicable to all. Outside-, electrically driven trucks., of all descriptions, from a small light van. to a heavy waggon, are shown doing haulage work of various kinds.- In another placo there is a email workshop fully equipped with bench, anvil, lathe, and &o on, such as may be found upou any up-to-date isolated- farm, whero repairs of a"il descriptions may bo -effected with electricity, as the sole source of energy. Nor is the domestic side forgotten. The farmer's wife is shown tho way to lessen tho arduousness of her labours in cooking, washing, .ironing, sewing, cleaning and -go forth- The point that strikes ,*&© spectator is the small amount o?' attention the various machines res-^"l*, an& "the ease and simplicifo-of their control. The camftcdgn on the 'country side is being carried on with commendable energy. Oh© (American company is expending over £20,000 upon this campaign of <fcruoation andj - <enlightenment; &nd;, judging from the results so far achieved, it will recoup iteelf several times over, aa the travelling electric fanfc is proving a far more valuable advertisement, and Meeting more practical re.Bulte in regard to sales, than pages of ii'9wspapert advertisements and academic discussion. It is "showing the goods;" to quote an American colloquialism, "on the spot."—"Chambers Journal."