There has been little change in this respect since 1942, when it was con- 

 cluded that: 



"Inadequate rural road services in New Hampshire have contributed 

 to an uneconomic use of rural land and to an incomplete realization of ag- 

 ricultural and recreational opportunities. . . .a large majority of the so-called 

 'declining areas' are those districts most inaccessible in a town. . . .many of 

 the declining areas are made unfit for agriculture by uncontrollable natural 



forces, Nevertheless, too many areas in the state are declining because 



they are not readily accessible. . . ."" 



Table 3. Weekly and Cumulative Feed Consumption for Selected Flock Sizes of Growing Birds 



Hence, while some farm units may have actually gone out of produc- 

 tion, in large part because of inaccessibility, many have continued to operate. 

 These oftentimes present a problem to the feed dealer from the standpoint 

 of added route mileage, the fact that roads may be impassable at certain 

 seasons, or the load limits involved may require at times substitute delivery 

 equipment. Although such units are in the minority, they are important. 



Because of the heavier truck chassis required for the bulk feed body 

 and unloading equipment, and the additional weight of those items them- 

 selves, the adoption of bulk feed delivery tends to increase tare weight. 

 Use of aluminum bodies would help minimize this effect. If a customer 

 taking .5 tons of feed per delivery is located on a road with a load limit of 

 o tons gross weight, a truck of 2-3 tons empty weight could make the de- 

 livery. However, with a 3-ton chassis and a 2i/4-ton bulk body and unloader, 

 a load of 5 tons would gross 101/4 tons, or in excess of the road limit. 



During the spring months many New Hampshire roads are virtually 

 impassable due to mud. Hence, a customer normally receiving bulk service 



* Parks, W. R., and J. C. Holmes, New Hampshire Rural Town's Comparative 

 Road Burdens and Road Services, N. H. Agr. Exp. Sta. and Bureau Agr. Econ. coop- 

 erating, Bui. 339, June, 1942, p. 6. 



