26 N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station [Bulletin 266 



increased the total load, but increased the use of current in the spring, 

 making the 1929-30 curves spread well over the summer season. The 

 .1930 load in particular represents good volume and an unusually good 

 contour from the central station standpoint. 



Since the larger appliances have their major use in summer (see 

 Table 8, page 42), excellent load qualities are developed despite the 

 fact that 75% of the equipment is in the household and only 25% on 

 ihe farm proper. Fruit farms in general are at low ebb in activity in 

 the winter, and the owners in this case have left the farm in charge of 

 the hired man from January to March for the past three years and 

 lived in the city. This results in the low readings occurring in these 

 months. Since the consumption would probably not exceed 90 kw.-hrs. 

 in any of these months, the important part of the curves would not 

 be materially affected by this change of residence. 



With the steady increase in bulk use from year to year (see Table 5 

 and F'igure 7), there have been corresponding declines in the net rate 

 paid up to 1929 and 1930, when the limit of the sliding-scale schedule 

 of this company appears to have been approached. Despite this fact, 

 it is interesting to note that the volume was still on the increase in 1930. 

 No change in the scheduled rates for this farm occurred during the 6 

 year period, so that all declines in net rate shown in Figure 7 are due 

 to increasing volume of use. In the spring of 1931 the company was 

 purchased and became a part of a large system, and more favorable 

 rates were put into effect. 



Electricity an Incentive to Modernize Home. 



That the coming of electricity stimulates the farm to modernize has 

 been observed in a great many instances. In this case to provide heat 

 in the kitchen to compensate for any lack of use of the wood range the 

 owner's interest in furnace equipment was aroused and resulted in the 

 installation of heating equipment for the entire house. The availability 

 of a dependable supply of water brought about the discarding of an 

 outside toilet and the installation of a complete modern bathroom with 

 septic tank disposal system. Before the house refrigerator equipment 

 even was settled upon, the fact that one eye-sore, the dilapidated ice- 

 house, could be eliminated was viewed with much interest. While the 

 old windmill was still permitted to stand, it is no longer in use. Even 

 the old sad irons seem to have little usefulness except as door stops. 

 In general there is a distinct air of sprucing up about the place and in 

 the mode of living as a result of having electricity installed. 



In reviewing their experience late in 1930, the housewife remarked, 

 "There is but one appliance that we use but little, and that is our table- 

 stove. We would not be without it, but we seem to eat toast faster than 

 that can toast it, so we do all the slices at one time with the broiler unit 

 in the range." This viewpoint shows the complete utilization that the 

 equipment has developed. A satisfactory agreement as to which of 

 several items of equipment were most useful could not be reached. 



Very little difficulty was experienced with any of the equipment dur- 

 ing this six-year period. The brine tank of the refrigerator developed 

 a leak in one of the seams which necessitated a $15 expenditure for 



