ELECTRICITY, HOW AN ENERGY FORM IMPLEMENTS GEOGRAPHIC CHANGE

Agriculture is the greatest energy consuming industry of modern society. In this entire nation factories consume only half as much energy as do farms. Thus the farmer constantly searches for a cheaper form of power. Through the years he has utilized the wind, animals, water power, gas motors, and the human back. Since 1935 he has learned to use the almost miracle power of electricity-cheaper-more efficiently applied-more pliable than energy in any previously known form, the known uses total nearly five hundred-the end is nowhere in sight!' The intent here is to show, narratively and statistically, how the increase in electrical energy consumption over the past twenty to twenty-five years has affected the way of life for the farmer, the concurrent shift in land uses, especially in Marion County, Oregon. The overall intent is stated from the agricultural point of view and purpose by Hartshorne -"In agricultural geography it is not sufficient ... to study crops and animals. We are concerned with the farm unit of organization of crops from fields, livestock in barns and pasture, all directed toward production of food for the farmer and products to be sold from his farm. We are not ready to begin this study until we have analyzed the farmer's purpose-the idea under which his piece of land is organized."'