Buying An Electric Plant for Your Farm, June 1921

In 1921 electric companies didn't serve areas outside of towns and cities, so country folk had to buy their own electric plant--a small motor that would generate electricity. The following article helped farmers purchase the correct motor. In 1935 President Roosevelt signed an executive order to create the Rural Electrification Administration, designed to bring electricity and telephone service to rural areas that existing electric and telephone companies didn't serve because they cost more than they were worth. The next year, Congress passed The Rural Electrification Act. Cooperatives were funded, and the lines went up.

Buying an Electric Plant for Average North Carolina Farm

Power plants are built to supply any demand of power, and the average size farm electric plant will furnish only two to three and a half horsepower. A farmer wants an electric plant to furnish lights for his house, two or three out—buildings and a barn. Also he will expect his plant to supply power for operating a water system for the house and barn, running a washing machine, churn, cream separator, grindstone, and for heating an iron and possibly to run other small electronic devices requiring a small amount of power. A 2 to 3 ½ horsepower plant would fill the bill if this were all, but in addition there is an ensilage cutter and a wood saw to drive, the ensilage cutter taking 15 horsepower and the saw 5 horsepower, or a total of about 17 horsepower required in plant capacity, provided everything is not operated at once.

A MATTER OF ECONOMY

In order that a power plant shall deliver the most power for the least money it is necessary that it run at very nearly full load all the time. Now if one should get a 17 horsepower plant for the case cited above, then it would operate practically all the time in supplying a load of around 2 horsepower and only seldom would it be called on to drive the saw and ensilage cutter and thus be loaded up to capacity. Fifteen horsepower would therefore remain idle most of the time although paid for in the original investment which cost many times as much as a plant would when large enough to furnish the average needs. The farm electric manufacturers have taken this matter into consideration in designing the small plants and this fact accounts for their limited capacity when recommended for home use.

We would suggest that a separate engine or, if available, a tractor be used for all heavy power work and that the plant purchased for the home only be large enough to supply the daily needs for power.

--W.C.W.

From The University of North Carolina News Letter, Chapel Hill, June 22, 1921