Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/240





HE farmer is probably buying more gas engine horse power to-day than any other half dozen general classes. Besides being the most generous purchaser of motor cars and practically the sole buyer of tractors, he purchases the greater part of the half million stationary and portable engines turned out annually by several hundred American manufacturers.

Few farms are now without a gasoline or kerosene engine—many have two, and some of only fair size have five or six, all busy. The average size of engine is increasing rapidly (now probably about six horse power) and as farmers become more familiar with them, these handy power plants are daily put to a more varied and more nearly constant use.

The great majority consume gasoline. The danger of a gasoline famine, so imminent a few years ago, has been averted for the present, at least, and the heavy-oil engine has not made much headway in the small units adapted to the farm.

Farm engines, other than tractors, are almost wholly of the single-cylinder type, both vertical and horizontal being widely used. Some manufacturers make both, not only to give the farmer his choice, but to provide more than one dealer in a town with an "exclusive" agency.

Most of these engines are stationary or semi-portable, i. e., mounted on skids. Many are portable (on wheels), and this is especially true of the larger sizes. The usual range is from one to thirty horse power. Roughly speaking, skid-mounted engines range from one to eight horse power, and the portable from ten to thirty-five horse power or larger. The tractor has taken the place of many of the larger portable units, and is rapidly encroaching on the smaller portable field. However, there is a growing demand for the light-weight, high grade throttle governed type, so easily adaptable to many uses.

The versatility of the gasoline engine in the farmer's hands is really remarkable. A one horse power model may play the part of a chore boy about the house, while a larger size may be at work around the barn and a still larger one be doing heavy work somewhere in the open.

The washing machine, cream separator, sewing machine, churn, grindstone and some of the lighter machines in the workshop call for the smallest engines. A two or three horse power engine may be the mainstay of the farm water system and run the milking machine. The electric lighting plant, plus the work just mentioned, may call for four or five horse power, whereupon the corn sheller and feed grinder are brought in to keep the power plant busy.

From this point upward the character of work changes less than the size of machine for doing it. Saws, feed mills, grain elevators, hay balers, etc., may use only a few horse power or the full