I ■ a-:-.; -\\?a */y SAPIENTIA UNIVERSALIS EX LIBRIS UNIVERSITY OF NEWHAMPSHIRE f?P Sis DISCOVERY INVENTION INSPIRATIO EXPERIMENT STATION LIBRARY class b "i ^ x*1 3 NUMBER f>4"S ^J lijfuu\| ti JJ 1 " ? >5 ACCESSION ^M $ tiii^t't? Bulletin No. 228 March. 1927 NEW HAMPSHIRE AGRICULTURAL EXPER I MENT STATION ELECTRICITY ON NEW ENGLAND FARMS A REPORT OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PROJECT ON THE RELATION OF ELECTRICITY TO AGRICULTURE FOR THE YEARS 192 5-1926 By W. T. ACKERMAN THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE DURHAM, N. H. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction 2 Experimental Farms 5 Descriptions, Equipment Costs, Kilowatt-hour Current Con- sumption and Costs, Load Curves and Observations Summary of All Farms 29 Hates and Circuits ill Applications oi Farm Home Equipment House Wiring and Lighting 32 Sewing Machines, Vacuum Cleaners 32 Water Supply 32 Electric Ranges 33 Household Refrigeration, Fireless Cookers 34 Dishwashers 35 Electric Water Heater-, Kitchen Ventilating Fans 36 Washing Machines, Flat Irons 37 Ironing Machines 38 Farmstead Equipment Barn Lighting, Shop Equipment 39 Woodsawing. Fertilizer Grinding 39 Portable Motors 39 Fruit Equipment Apple Sorter and Grader 39 Dairy Equipment Milking Machines, Separators 40 Milk Cooling, Bottle Washer 40 Dairy Cooling Rooms 41 Electric Fan in Dairy Room 42 Hay Hoisting 42 Silo Filling 42 Poultry Equipment 42 Electric Incubators 42 Electric Brooders 43 Grain and Feed Mixer 43 Ultra Violet Light 43 Oat Sprouter 43 Poultry Lights 43 I )| 'i >ort unities for Further Research 44 Summary 45 Organization 46 ELECTRICITY ON NEW ENGLAND FARMS The 160,000 farms in New England according to estimates by the United States Department of Agriculture require more than 1.000,000 horse power to carry on operations. This is an average of 6.7 horse power per farm and includes only the power of work animals, gas engines, steam engines, electric, wind and water motors. If statistics for the country as a whole may be taken, approximately one third of this amount is used in stationary farm operations, for which elec- tricity as generated and distributed by electric companies is a possible source of power. The figure does not include household equipment, lighting and human labor necessarj" to perform many farm and home tusks in which electric current might conceivably be utilized. In view of the rapid expansion of electric power throughoul the country the questions arise: What percent of the human, animal and machine labor involved on these farms may be profitably performed with electricity as energy? How much of an electric load can be built up on representative New England farms'? What appliances can be economically used on such farms'.' And will the result- inn use of electricity be sufficient to pay power companies an adequate return on lines extended into the rural sections? In order to answer such questions experimental work was started m 1925 oh seven representative farms in different sections of New Hampshire with a view to collecting data which would be ap- plicable to New England in genital. These farms, comprising dairy, fruit, poultry and general purpose farms were selected and equipped with appliances to determine what limits in quantity of electricity can be economically and efficiently used in their operations. The equipment installed is metered in such a way that detailed records can be secured each month for each piece of equipment. In some cases comparative tests with other forms of power are made. Sixty major and 40 minor pieces of equipment are now in use on the farms covering 36 or more distinct operations and involving 50 or more different makes. Two of the farms were previously well equipped and have, therefore, furnished 16 months' records. In the remain- ing cases the period covered b}r the records to date varies from three to nine months. The farms comprising the experimental group were selected with considerable care with particular emphasis on the number of operations that could be exper- imented with and the intention of the farmer to exert himself in furnishing accurate and full information. These farms cannot, be classed as average farms of New England. They are considerably above the average in productiveness, man-power and industry. For reasons that need not be enlarged upon here, it was necessary to select such a type to provide opportunities for testing out a greater variety of operations. On the other hand, none is in the nature of a "gentleman's estate" or endowed with an undue amount of capital or wealth. They are typical of the substantial and successful farm operated with modern, will-balanced methods. ♦This is a progress report of the New Hampshire experiment on rural elec- trification for the. New England territory carried on by the University of New Hampshire Experiment Station in cooperation with the National and State Com- mittees on the Relation of Electricity to Agriculture for the two year period ending December 31, 1926. Future reports, covering groups of appliances and their operating characteristics in greater detail and for a longer period of time, are planned. Appreciation is here expressed to the manufacturers of equipment, cooperating farmers, agricultural organizations, electrical interests and others who have gen- erously given of their support, financial and otherwise, which has made this work possible. Cooperating farmers are: D. T. Atwood, Franklin; R. T. Gould, Contoocook; J. R. Graham. Boscawen; R. E. Holmes. Stratham; S. D. Sterling, Dover; N. F. Stearns, West Lebanon; and G. E. Townsend, Salem. 4 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S The territory covered by the experimental group now extends from the south- eastern side of the state at Salem, north to Dover, west to Concord, Penacook and Franklin, and then to Lebanon on the western boundary of the state, about midway in a north and south direction. The cooperators are not obligated 1o keep all of the equipment tried out on their farms. It is estimated that at least 80% of the household equipment in- stalled at present on the experimental farms will be permanently retained, though just what percent of the farmstead equipment will be kept is less evident, due to the experimental nature of much of it. Later reports will be issued, giving in more detail the cost of operating each appliance separately and in groups, amount of use made of them, character of service rendered and returns on the investment. For the present, inventories with cost figures and partial deductions for various appliances are given herewith for each farm. Few figures are available for comparing the investment between the usual standard and electrical eqiupment for the farm; and so far as farm home equip- ment is concerned there are even fewer figures. The 1925 census gives $420.00 as the average investment in implements and machinery on New Hampshire farms, but this classification probably covers very little of the type of equipment being used in the project, and, of course, includes & great many small and run-down farms. From figures on investment in farmstead and field machinery, other than elec- trically operated, on file at the University, it is estimated that the larger, more active, farms in New Hampshire, have approximately $2,000.00, more or less, invested, and that medium-sized farms, in the active class, would have $750.00 to $1500.00 invested in such equipment. These figures are not likely to include such fixed equipment as water supply systems, dairy cooling rooms and other built-in equipment which would be considered as a part of the real estate. Some electrically operated equipment is very efficient and has such a close relation to the labor problem that its practical value would be arrived at by a different analysis than a mere comparison of inventories. For example: the soundness of an investment of $750.00 to $800.00 in a dairy cooling room would have been immediately questioned a few years ago. Results thus far obtained in the experiment indicate promising possibilities of this equipment paying for itself on retail dairy farms in less than five years and then paying a dividend for several years if well built and sturdy equipment is used. Probably a greater number of factors enter into the arrival at this conclusion than with the older types of equipment being considered. On the other hand, another type of equipment of nominal cost may meet with quick disapproval because of one of these same factors. This, then, is not an attempt to justify large investments in equipment, but rather to point out the necessity of measuring the practical value of electrically operated devices by a somewhat different standard. It will also serve to explain what may at first appear to be large investments in equipment on the experimental farms. Material Contained in Tables. The tables of current consumption for each farm are based on monthly readings by circuits or similar divisions. These are substantiated by compan3' readings against whose records the monthly costs were also checked. Individual test meters, placed on each appliance, furnish more de- tailed information.. The reader's attention is particularly directed to the section of each table printed in bold-face type, following the tabulation by months, which summarizes such important facts as monthly average, daily average for the year, percent of the total consumption used by each circuit, the average rate per kilowatt hour for each of the three circuits and the combined average rate of all circuits for the year. Current consumption on farmstead equipment on practically all of the farms did not reach a well established limit, during the past year due to the experimen- tal nature of many of the operations, but can be expected to increase as success- ful applications are completed. March, 1927] Electricity ox New England Farms FARM NO. 1 (RETAIL DAIRY) DESCRIPTION Four-man farm. Family of 4 adults. 2 children. Ten room brick house. Large dairy barn with silos attached, large implement shed containing ice house; other out-buildings. 175 acres of river bottom land, level and free of stone. 45 head of cattle, 36 milked, 3 horses. 2 tractors, 1 Ford delivery truck, pleasure car, modern machinery. Farm retails 300 quarts of milk and cream a day in village two miles distant. House and barns wired about seven years with no line construction cost. Two transformers of 10 K.V.A. capacity used in parallel to balance load. A new rate schedule with one master meter permits use of any appliance properly wired and fused. EQUIPMENT COSTS The following inventory gives each item of electrical equipment in use, with its original purchase juice and cost of installation, if any. New equipment is shown in Italics with date of installation in parentheses. Household Equipment. 1. Wiring of house and barns including fixtures $325.00 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. s. II. 10. It. 12. Wiring of tenant house Flat Iron Fireless Cooker Percolator $9.50; (6) Curling Iron $4.00 (March, 1926) Washing Machine (Dec, 1925) Vacuum Cleaner (April, 1926) Household Refrigerator Installation Lahor and Material (Aug., 1926) Kitchen Range Installation Labor and Material (Dec, 1925) Hot Wad /■ //i ater Installation Labor and Mat; rial (June, 1926) Sewiitij Machine Motor (Aim.. 1926) Group Total Farmstead Equipment. 13. Milking Machine Motor (not metered until July, 1925) 14. 15. 16. 17 18 19 20 21 22 Installation Labor and Material .... ( 'nam Separator — Motor Kquipment 1V-> H. P. Portable Utility Motor Installation Costs (July. 1926) Water Pump — Owner's House Tank 48x72 . ._ Installation Incidentals (Dec, 1925) Water Pump — Tenant House (June, 1926) Hay Hoist (July, 1925) W-2 H. P. Shop Motor (not connected) Yard and Building Flood Light (not connected) Concrete and Fertilizer Mixt r (tested only) Dairy Cooling Room (April, 1926) M> chanical Equipment — Instalh d price Room Const ruction and Insulation (Materia! and Labor) 75 00 8.50 37 00 13.50 155 00 39 50 250 00 24 09 225 00 87.00 132 50 33 40 18.50 $1423.99 $100 00 17.40 35.00 325 00 12.10 87.20 138 00 7.00 125 00 130 00 82 80 29 70 57.00 510 SO 194.45 Group Total $1851.45 All equipment total $3275 . 44 DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT COSTS Per cent of appliances Per cent of total cost Per cent of circuit cost for appliances Per cent of circuit cost for installation Lighting 45 4 24 9 84.1 15.9 Heating 27 3 45 9 90.4 9 6 Power 27 3 29.2 96.2 3.8 Household 54 5 43 4 Farmstead 45.5 56.6 Of the total equipment cost 89.6% is for appliances and 10.4r/ for installation. New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S Farm No. 1. Current Consumption and Costs — 1925-1926. Table 1 shows current consumed on Farm No. 1 for 1925 and 1926. Equipment operated during 1925 consisted of Items 1-7, 13, 14 and 16 as given on the preceding page. The rate schedule was changed Jan., 1926, and for the second year all equip- ment was on one master meter. Equipment operated in 1926 included the entire list "Equipment Costs" except the Hood lighl and shop motor. It will be noted that the average daily consumption on the light circuit did not reach 2 kilowatts during any season of 1925. Practically no variation oc- curred, which is unusual. TABLE 1. Current Consumption and Costs for 1925 and 1926 — Farm No. 1 1925 January February March April May June July August September October November December Year's total Monthly average Daily average Per cent Average rate per kwh. . Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept Oct., Nov., Dec 1926 January February March April May June July August September October November December Year's total Monthly average Daily average Average rate per kwh. . . Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept Oct., Nov., Dec Light Circuit Kilo- watt Hours 67 4.", 43 38 29 L".i 36 43 10 55 56 51 532 44.3 1.45 31.82(; 1.72 I .05 1 . 29 1 .77 Cost $8.04 5.40 5.16 1.56 :; is 3.48 4.32 5.16 4.80 6.60 6.72 6.12 $63.84 5.32 . 17 48. 19r; $0. 12 $0 . 206 .126 . 1 55 .211 Power Circui r Kilo- watt Hours 49 49 32 34 38 27 63 160 1 55 162 1 45 226 1140 95.0 3. 12 68. 18' ; 1.15 1 .08 4.10 5.7!) Cost $3 . 76 3.76 3 m 3.13 3.30 2 . 83 4.36 8.48 8 . 27 8.57 7.84 1 I . 29 $68.63 5.71 .18 5i.8r; $0.0602 1.117 .101 .229 .301 Monthly Total All Circi its Kilo- watt Hours 116 94 75 72 67 56 99 203 195 217 201 277 1672 139.3 100', 334 430 42(1 460 550 590 1)1(1 870 900 810 690 730 7694 641.1 Cost $11 9 80 16 8.20 7.69 6.7S 6 .31 8 68 13.64 13.07 15.17 14.56 17.41 $132.47 11 03 $.0792 $16.88 211.72 20.32 21 .112 25.52 27 . 1 2 39.92 38.32 39.52 35 .92 31.12 32.72 $350.00 29. 16 $.0455 Daily A VERAGE All Circuits Kilo- watt Cos! Hours 3.74 $0,383 3 . 35 .327 2.41 26 1 2.40 . 256 2.16 .218 1.86 .210 3.19 .280 6 . 54 . 14(1 6.50 . 435 7.00 . 189 6 70 .485 8.93 .564 4.57 $0.36 3.16 $0,323 2.13 .227 4.31 .384 7 . 56 . 5 1 2 10.77 SO . 54 1 15.35 .740 13.54 .655 15.33 .730 17 74 . 823 1 9 . 66 .904 29.35 1 . 28 27 .41 1 . 23 30.(10 1 .31 26 . 1 2 1.15 23.00 1 .02 23.54 1 .05 21.07 $0,958 13.22 $0,643 17.5 .817 2s.it 1 . 29 24.23 1 .07 March, 1927] Electricity ox New England Farms 1 320 £.40 1 9 Si 5 /a/ equipment 160 // * rt/IMmg machine and A^umjo ao Form Oil Cll total -cuits // * Light ^ 0 ^W CT^Nt j* Z2~— 1 " TmJ/^ / - — — Z ignis and Power Circuit "■**• small devices _J p t 1 1 i fi k 9 i u 960 1 P^ l€> 880 300 ' m-KQ All equipment ^640| 1 k k %56Q <430l 400 3£0 /-arm roroi Only one meter circuit used with combination rate Fig. 1. Electric load. 1925 and 1926, on Farm No. 1. In 1926 the increase in electric load or consumption for the farm as a whole amounts to 360%. The 192.") load curve in Fig. 1 shows the results for a year before efforts at load building were -i aried. and may be considered as normal consumption up to this time. The lighting circuit curve is unusually flat, showing a fairly uniform consumption throughout the year. In the power circuit curve the increase in November and December is not normal and was caused by the installation of the electric range. If this appliance had not been installed there would have been a pronounced decline starting with October. The two slight peaks at Aug- ust and October are normal. The 1926 curve shows the result of active efforts at load building which in- creased the consumption 360% over the original load and placed well defined peaks from July to September. Considering that most city load curves show quite a depression during the summer season, this trend is probably desirable from the power company's standpoint. 8 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S FARM NO. 2 (RETAIL DAIRY) DESCRIPTION Three to four-man farm. Family of three adults. Nine room house. Large dairy barn with silo attached; two garages and implement shed. 75 acres of which 30 acres are tillable. 36 head of milking cattle, 2 horses, 1 tractor, 1 delivery truck, pleasure car, modern machinery. Farm located on state road. Retails 250 to 300 quarts of milk and cream daily in city one mile distant. House and barns wired 10 years under cooperative arrangement between farmers and service company; 12 pole extension; cost $375. One transformer of 3 K.V.A. capacity. EQUIPMENT COSTS Much of the following equipment has been installed by the men of the place themselves, and this may account for some variation from the usual cost prices. (The rate for current in this location practically prohibits the use of high-wat- tage heating devices). Light Circuit Equipment 1. Wiring of house and barns, including fixtures $450.00 2. House lights— 25 outlets, average 40 Watt lamps.... 10.00 3. Barn lights— 22 outlets, average 40 Watt lamps 8.80 4. Flat iron 6.50 5. Washing Machine 150 . 00 6. Bottle Brush (No installation cost) 40.00 7. Shop equipment (No installation cost) 25.00 8. Vacuum Cleaner 60 00 9. Special vacuum pump for milking machine 150.00 10. 5 H. P. motor for milking machine 80.00 1 1 . Battery charger (Jan., 1926) 19 . 50 Group Total $999.80 Power Circuit Equipment 12. House Refrigeration machine (Rental contract) Initial deposit $225 00 Rental charge ($2.00 per month) 34 months 68.00 13. Dairy Cooling Room Machine (Rental contract) Initial deposit 225 . 00 Rental charge ($2.00 per month) 34 months 68.00 Insulation of cooling room (converted ice room) 13.00 14. Milk Cooling Pump (No installation cost) 76 00 Group Total $675 00 All equipment total $1674 80 DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT COSTS Light and Power Heat Circuit Circuit Household Farmstead Per cent of total appliances 78.6 21.4 42.9 57.1 Per cent of total equip, cost 59.6 40.4 51.1 48.9 Farm No. 2 — Current Consumption and Costs. Table 2 shows the current consumed on Farm No. 2 for 1925 and 1926. The full list of equipment given on the preceding page was operating for the two-year period. The total consumption for 1925 was 3362 kilowatt hours and for 1926 was 3252 kilowatt hours. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms The total of both circuits in 1925 shows a steady rise from 5.21 kwhs. per day in the winter season to 12.58 kwhs. in the summer and then a decline to 8.43 kwlis. in the fall. Practically the same tendencies are evident in 1926, although the values are somewhat lower, due to more efficient operation and improvement of equipment. TABLE 2. Current Consumption and Costs for 1925 and 1926 — Farm No. 2 HeatC IRCUIT Light and Power Circuit Monthly Total All Circiits Daily Average All Circuits Kilo- watt Hours ( o-t Kilo- watt Hours Cost Kilo- watt Hours Cost Kilo- watt Hours Coot 1925 "9 36 112 157 271 .'.'.(i 252 2(14 139 120 9 $6.63 2.52 7.84 10.99 19.18 1 7 . 50 17.64 1 8 . 48 9 7:; 8.40 .63 is:; 136 105 1 ;,3 1 I.'. 149 108 111 173 147 156 204 $23.79 17.68 13 65 19.89 1 4 . 95 1 !l . 37 14 04 14 43 22.49 19.11 20.28 26 . 52 1S3 145 141 265 272 423 358 437 286 276 213 $23.79 IS. 31 16.17 27 . 73 25.94 3S.55 31.54 32.07 40.97 js.84 2S.68 27.15 5.90 5.17 4.54 8.50 8.77 14.10 11.54 11.70 14.56 9.22 9.20 6.87 $0,767 .654 .521 .924 .S37 1 . 282 July 1.015 1.032 1 . 365 .931 .956 .876 1622 135.1 4.45 48.21% $113.54 9.44 .312 33.4% $0.07 1740 145.0 4.76 51 79'; $226.20 18.41 .618 66.6', $0.13 3362 280.1 100% $339. 74 27.85 • • • • $0,161 9.21 Monthly average $0,930 • . . . Average rate per kwh. . . .... Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar .5 5.96 8.32 2.91 $0,035 .417 .582 .203 4.71 4 .VI 4 26 5.51 $0.01- .596 553 .716 • • » • — 5.21 10.55 12.58 8.42 $0,647 1.01 1.13 ( lit Nov Dec .919 1920 5 4 5 59 152 220 205 2 L't', 209 L65 96 19 $0 . 35 .28 .35 4 . 1 3 10.64 16.015 14.35 L5.82 14. 63 1 1 55 6.72 1 . 33 193 117 101 157 170 125 117 146 17.". lis 166 233 $25.09 15 21 jo >i:; 20.41 22. U> 16.25 15.21 1 8 . 98 22 7:. 15.34 21.5S 30 . 29 198 121 166 216 322 354 322 372 384 283 262 252 $25.44 15.49 21.28 24.54 32.74 32.28 29.56 34.80 37.38 26.89 28.30 31.62 6.38 4.32 5.35 7.20 10.38 11.80 10.38 12.00 12.80 9.12 8.73 8.12 $0,820 .553 .686 .818 1.056 1.076 ,Jiilv .953 1.122 1.246 .867 .943 1.020 1374 114. 5 3.77 42.2% $96. 18 .802 .264 28. 3% $0.07 1878 156.5 5. 14 57.8% $244. 14 2.035 .668 71.7% $0.13 3252 271 8.91 100% $340.32 2.837 .932 $0,164 Monthly average Average rate per kwh. . . Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar Apr., May, .tune . 1 55 4 . 83 6.96 3.04 $0,011 . 33S . 486 .213 5.23 4.96 4.76 5.61 $0,680 .646 .618 .741 .... 5.39 9.79 11.72 8.65 $0,691 .984 1.10 ( let , Nov., Dec .954 10 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 J 1 <* \ s 1 k 0 1 i! 450 1 4£0 390 ^360 <0 £.330 . ,300 fc Szzo 1 210 A// eau/pment IfiO t t / i L/ghfe and r~7//k/ng macn/ne r~br/n foto/ o// c/rcuifc 150 ^^ I J . / / / f N \ \\ ^-- / / t ieo V > v f ' r / / / \ \ \ / / / / \ \ i i i 90 L/ty/if one? Power c/ra//r ~\ / t . / \ / \ i 60 30 Heat c/rco/f v/ /^efr/gero- c t/on < 1 Rc ■yna /mp Fig. 2. Electric load for 1925 on Farm No. 2. FARM TOTAL AND SUMMARY The curves of total consumption for Farm No. 2, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are very similar in general contour, and show a well established plan in the use of the electrical equipment used throughout both yens. The high peak load cornea from June to September each year with the extreme values on these two mom lis. A slight falling off between these peaks occurs in both years in both circuits. Here again is a farm load that appears to have desirable qualities from the standpoint of the power utility company. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 11 * ^ fc: | \ ^ Q ^ ^ \ \ \ \ A 9C """■ -»* Power c/rcu/t 6C 3C c \ fPefr/gera - r/on <">*Pi/mp Hear c/rcu/f i— Fig. 3. Electric load for 1926 on Farm No. 2. The decline from January to March in 1925 on the light and power circuit is one month longer in duration than in 1926. A late spring might easily have caused this. The milking machine is on this circuit with the lights and small devices. Refrigeration is the principal load on the heat circuit. It will be noticed that the peak loads in 1926 do not run as high as in 1925. While this may be partly due to cooler seasonal temperatures, a more important factor was the improvement of the insulation of the dairy cooling room. Many leaks and points requiring extra insulation were found and repaired in the winter of 1925-26. 12 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 FARM NO. 3 (WHOLESALE DAIRY) DESCRIPTION Three-man farm. Family of three adults, two children. Fourteen room house. Large dairy barn with silo, horse barn, garage and shop, medium sized ice house, granary, implement shed, and medium sized hay barn. Hill farm of 330 acres of which 75 are tillable. 47 head of cattle, 27 milked. 3 horses, one tractor, one delivery truck, pleasure car, modern machinery. Farm delivers an average milking in morning and night of 225 to 250 quarts of milk and cream per day to retailers in town three miles distant. House and buildings wired in 1903 from nearb}' line without construction cost. Transformers used, — light and heat circuit 7.5 K.V.A., power circuit 2.5 K.V.A. EQUIPMENT COSTS Light Circuit Equipment. 1. Wiring of house and barns, including fixtures $315.00 Armored conduit, concealed wiring system. House lights — 55 outlets, average 40 watt lamps 22 00 3. Barn lights — 20 outlets, average 40 watt lamps 8.00 4. House water pump 75 00 Installation cost — electric and plumbing 15.00 5. Vacuum cleaner 52 00 G. Curling iron $3.50; (7) Radiant Heater $7.00 10.50 o Group Total $497.50 Heat Circuit Equipment. (Installation of the heating circuit wiring is included in the following installation costs.) 8. Combination wood-electric range $321 50 Installation costs — electric and plumbing 92 00 9. Dishwasher 80 00 Installation costs 0 00 10. Clothes Washer 150.00 Installation costs 0 00 11. Hot water heater (July, 1926) 64.50 Installation costs — electric and plumbing 27.67 12. Waffle Iron $12.00; (6) Toaster $5.00; (7) Percolator $8.50 25.50 13. Flat iron 5.00 Group Total $766 17 Power Circuit Equipment. (Installation of the power circuit wiring is in- cluded in the following installation costs). 14. 2 H. P. motor — operating the milking machine, cream separator and milk cooling pump $ 75 00 Installation cost 35 . 00 15. Centrifugal water pump for milk cooling 30.00 16. Shafting, pulleys, hangers, belts, etc., for the above 25 00 Installation costs 15 . 00 (i roup Total $180.00 All equipment total $1443.67 DISTRIBUTION OF COST EQUIPMENT Lighting Per cent of appliances 38.9 Per cent of total cost 34.5 Per cent of circuit cost for appliances 75. 84. 72 7 Per cent of circuit cost for installation 25. 16. 27.7 Of the total equipment cost 77.2% is for appliances and 22.8% for installation. //* ating Power Household Farmstead 44.4 16 7 83 25 16.75 53.1 12 4 87.5 12.5 March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 13 Farm No. 3 — Current Consumption and Costs. Table 3 shows the current consumed by Farm No. 3. Except for the hot water heater which was in- stalled during the summer of 1926. the full equipment listed under "Equipment Costs", was operating for the two-year period. TABLE 3. Current Consumption and Costs for 1925 and 1926 — Farm No. 3 1925 January. . . February. . March April May June July August . . . September October . . . November. December . Year's total .... Monthly average Daily average. . . Per cent Average rate per kwh Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar. Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept. Oct., Nov., Dec. . 1926 January. . . February. . March April May June July August . . . September October . . . November. December. Year's total . . Monthly average Daily average. Per cent Average rate per kwh Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar.. Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept. Oct., Nov., Dec. Light Circuit Kilo- watt Hours 77 63 42 31 37 17 is 24 •11 50 7S 97 575 47.9 1.57 24.65',' 2 02 .934 .902 2.44 73 59 77 38 51 24 20 25 39 41 70 77 594 49. 5 1.62 21.44 2.32 1 . 24 .913 2.04 Cost 86.76 :, 64 :; 96 3 us 3 . 56 1 90 2 mi 2 52 3 SS I 60 6 84 8 . 36 $53. 10 4.42 . 146 30. 33% $0.0923 SO . 1 S 1 .094 ,091 .215 16.50 5 26 6.76 3.64 4.6S 2.52 20 60 72 .ss 20 6.76 $54. 72 4.56 . 149 26. 897c $0. 092 SO . 205 .119 ,093 .183 Heat Circuit Kilo- watt Hours is 14 120 15 21 49' 39 49 43 32 28 16 444 37 1.22 19.02'; $19.76 1.65 .054 11.29% $0. 0445 1 68 934 1.42 .826 14 9 22 17 20 28 80 112 38 39 11 14 404 33.6 1. 11 14. 59' ; .5 .714 2 . 5 .695 Cost $ 1 . 00 1 . 00 1 50 1.00 1 .04 2.02 1.67 2 02 1 s| 1.42 1 .28 1.00 SO. 072 .045 .059 .040 $1.00 1.00 1.07 1 lilt 1.00 1 . 28 3.10 4 . 22 1 .63 1.67 1.00 1.00 $18.97 1.58 .0519 9.32% $0. 0469 $0,034 . 036 .097 .04 Power Circuit Kilo- watt Hours 1 23 102 97 86 115 96 Of) 98 113 113 in; 156 1314 109.5 3.6 56.34r; 3 :,7 3 26 3 . 37 4.18 146 121 193 146 215 133 109 119 143 115 138 194 1772 147.6 4.85 63.977r 5.11 5.42 4.03 4.85 Cost $9 . 38 s 12 7.76 6 ss 8.90 7 7 7 8 8 8 11 f,s 92 si 78 7S 96 36 $102.36 8.53 .28 58. 387 $0.0778 $0 . 280 .258 .267 .316 $10.76 9.26 1 3 . 58 10.76 14.60 9.98 8 9 .54 .14 10.58 8.90 10.08 13.64 $129.82 10.81 .355 63. 79% $0. 0732 $0 . 373 .388 .307 .354 Monthly Total All Circuits Daily Average All Circuits Kilo- Kilo- watt Cost watt Cost Hours Hours 218 $17.14 7.03 SO . 553 179 14.76 6 39 .527 259 16.22 s 35 .523 132 10.96 4.40 . 305 173 13.50 5 . 58 . 435 162 11 .60 5.40 ,386 1 56 1 1 .59 5 . 03 .374 171 12.38 5 . 5 1 . 399 197 14.47 6 56 482 195 14.80 6 . 29 .477 ooo 17.08 7.40 . 500 269 20.72 8.67 .008 2332 $175.22 194.3 14.60 6.38 $0.48 100% $0.0715 7.27 $0,534 5 . 1 3 .396 5.71 .418 7.45 .572 233 $18.26 7.51 $0.5S9 189 15.52 6.75 .554 292 21.41 9.41 .000 201 15.40 6.70 . 5 1 3 286 20.28 9.22 .654 185 13.78 6.16 .459 209 13.84 6.74 .446 256 15.96 8.25 .514 220 15.93 7 . 33 .531 195 14.45 6.29 .466 219 17.28 7.30 .576 285 21.40 9.19 .690 2770 $203.51 230.8 16.96 7.58 $0. 556 100% $0. 0707 7.93 $0,612 7.37 .543 7.44 .496 7.58 .577 14 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S ^ 3 s \ >s ? ^ ^ S fc § k ^ § is £QQ 1 P60 AH equ//Omenf ?40 2?0 \ Form total a// c/rr.t/its <0 SiZOO / fio k k ^ 160 W//k/r>g mac- hine and F^amp Ij 140 / 120, / / / Flower circuit < _1Q0 \ s N *»» 1 / • • — — — _ * * f <9Q 60 Y*s. / / S •— • "" -"* r / • s Lights ana smo/i 'at wees Light c/rcu/t . / t / / / -40 \ I 1 \ 1 « \ — f s s s <-' / t > O >. A .--- ^ / „-' Heat - c/r~ci//t \ • _ _— > »" We*} ting anu Cooking o/op/iances 1 Fig. 4. Electric load for 1925 on Farm No. 3. The combination wood-electric range accounts, in a large measure, for the trend of the heat circuit curve in Figs. 4 and 5. Being the only source of heat for a very large kitchen, it is used with wood as fuel most of the year, with the electric side as an auxiliary. The high consumption in March, 1925, was due to sickness, and is considered unusual for this season of the year. The high rise in August, 1926, is due somewhat to the installation of an electric hot water heater, although considerable canning was done throughout the summer. The power circuit operates only the milking machine, milk cooling pump and a rarely used separator. A 2 H.P. motor working these through a countershaft March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 15 * s <* 1 1 1 ^ i 300 2flO All eQUiprrx=nt- c6C ££0 rarm total all circuits 200 \J ' Y / 1 • V / ' fli/king machine and Pump 5 iao ' / \ / \ \ 1 i / / \ k k Lisa / / \ \ \ / / / \ V \ / 0 140 120 Power" circuit . 1 i i \ / \ \ \ j / t \ \ 1 1 \ \ A / / IOO \ +* s N / I QQ / tr eo circuit 4 S s s * V \ \ / / ''*' Lights ana small 'devices AO \ \ \ \ \ \ i t s \ \ ^m 0 1 _ Heat circuit Heating and < Cookinq 1 appliances K 0 -— * I 5. Electric load for 1926 on Farm No. 3. involves a very considerable loss in efficiency. An average of 25 cows are milked daily. The greater power consumption in 1926 indicates increased milk production, and the fluctuations reflect such points in the herd management as freshening and drying up of the cows, changes in feeding schedules, etc. It will be noticed that there is a repeated tendency to increase in March, April, September and December. Assuming that a high summer peak load would be desirable, the general curve would respond if household and dairy electric refrigeration were installed. The curve also emphasizes the value, from an electric load basis, of developing siicli summer operations as hay hoisting, ensilage cutting, etc., even though of a short term type. 16 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 FARM NO. 4 (RETAIL DAIRY) DESCRIPTION Three to four-man farm. Family of six adults. Twelve room house. Large dairy bam with silo, bottling room, dairy wash room, refrigerator room, carnage house, and horse stable. 190 acres of which 65 acres are tillable. 27 head of cattle, 19 milked, 2 horses, 1 delivery truck, 1 pleasure car, modern machinery. Farm purchases some milk from near-by farm and retails 300 quarts daily in city two miles distant. Buildings wired in 1919 from near-by line with- out construction costs. Transformer of 10 K.V.A. capacity. EQUIPMENT COSTS The following inventory of equipment shows new installations in Italics: Light Circuit Equipment 1. Wiring house and barns $215 . 00 2. House lights — 42 outlets, average 40 watt lamps 16.80 3. Barn lights — 9 outlets, average 40 watt lamps 3.60 4. Washing machine (March, 1926) 155.00 5. Sewing machine motor drive (Aug., 1926) 22.40 6. Curling iron $2.75; (7) Toaster $6.00; (8) Percolator $8.00 16.75 9 & 10. Radiant Heaters $12.00 & $8.00; (11) Battery Charger $16.50.. 36.50 12. Oscillating Fan (Oct., 1926) 21 . 15 13. Vacuum Cleaner (June, 1926) • 59.50 14. Separator Motor equipment 47 . 00 Group Total $593 70 Heat Circuit. (Installation of the heating circuit wiring is included in the fol- lowing installation costs) : — - 15. Combination coal-electric range $227 . 50 Installation costs (Dec, 1925) 142.61 16. Ironer 129.00 Installation costs (Aug., 1926) 29.20 17. Flat Iron 6.75 18. Hot water heater 64 . 50 Installation costs (June, 1926) 11 .78 19. Combination dairy cooling room & household refrigerator, new cooling room, construction (material & labor) 234.50 MecJianical equipment (installed price) 510.80 Electrical connections (May, 1926) 21 .20 Group Total $1377 84 Power Circuit. Special circuit wiring $41 .30 20. Milking machine motor 75 00 Installation 30.00 21. Deep well pump (Nov., 1925) 331 . 92 Installation, Plumbing $33.40; Electric $11.10 44.50 Group Total $ 522.72 All equipment total $2494.26 DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT COSTS Lighting Heating Power Household Farmstead Per cent of appliances 66 7 23.8 9.5 80.9 19.1 Per cent of total cost 23.8 55.3 20 9 51.8 48.2 Per cent of circuit cost for appliances 88. 83. 78. Per cent of circuit cost for installation 12. 17. 22. Of the total equipment cost 83% is for appliances and 17% for installation. Farm No. 4 — Current Consumption and Costs. During the year 1925 only a lighting circuit was in use operating lights, milking machine and minor devices. Three separate circuits and all the equipment listed were in operation in 1926, ex- March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 17 cept the ironer which was installed in midsummer. The total consumption in- creased 267% over 1925, and attained a monthly average of 623.5 kwhs. The 1926 curve for the lishtinji circuit, as shown in Fiji. 6. has much the same con- tour as that for 1925. but is of lower total consumption, due to the transfer of some of the equipment to other circuits. The February peak in the 1926 heat circuit may be attributed to uneconomical use of current in becoming acquainted with the operation of new equipment. A TABLE 4 Current Consumption and Costs for 1925 and 1926- -Farm No. 4 Monthly Light Circuit Heat Circuit Poweh Circuit Total Daily Average All Circuits All Circuits Kiln- Kilo- Kilo- Kiln- Kilo- watt ( ',,-! watt Cost watt Cost watt ( lost watt Cost Hours Hours Hours Hours Hours 1925 January 195 S16.60 6 29 $0,535 227 19.16 8.10 .684 121 219 183 120 99 100 10.68 18.52 15 64 LO 60 8 92 9 00 3.93 7 30 5 90 4.00 3.19 3 . 22 .344 .617 May . 504 .353 Julv . .287 .290 September 1 1!) in 52 .350 October 1 56 13 In 5 03 .434 257 2 1 . 56 8 56 .718 December 230 19. 10 7 11 .025 Year's total .... 2036 $174.08 Monthly average 169.6 14.50 Daily average. . . 5.57 $0.47 Average rate per $0. 0855 Seasonal Dailv Averages Jan., Feb., Mar. 6.00 $0,516 Apr., May, June 5.73 .491 Julv, Aug., Sept. 3. 15 .309 Oct., Nov., Dec. . 6.98 591 1926 263 $24 35 Start Start 263 $24.35 8. IS $0 785 270 25.05 261 $8 58 531 33.63 l.S. 90 1 . 20 174 1 58 1 Is 17.16 1 5 . 32 14.10 171 239 315 7.92 10.20 345 397 u\:\ 23.04 23 . 24 24 . 30 11.12 13.23 1 4 . 93 .743 April .774 May .783 1 15 45 37 1 1 . 32 1 60 3.96 361 739 890 1 1 . 58 • ).) 92 27. 15 Start 80 98 Start $7 in 9 01 476 864 1025 22.90 35.00 40.42 1 5 . 86 27.87 33.06 . 763 Julv 1.12 1 .30 September 68 6.44 952 29.31 117 10.45 1137 46.20 37.90 1 . 54 71 6.68 544 17.08 101 9 . 24 716 33.00 23 . 09 1.06 117 10.36 490 15 11 114 1 0 . 22 721 36.02 24.03 1 . 20 97 8 76 364 11.13 S3 7 73 544 27.62 17.54 .890 Year's total .... 1563 $148. 10 5326 $167.49 593 $54. 13 7482 $369. 72 Monthly average 130. 2 12.34 484 1 15.22 98.8 9.02 623.5 30.81 Daily average. . . 4.28 .41 15.94 502 3. 24 .296 20.50 $i.oi Per cent 20.89fi 40.06'c 71.18r; 45.30rf 7.937< 14.647 1007c Average rate per $0. 094-7 $0.0314 $0.0912 $0. 0494 Seasonal Dailv Averages Jan., Feb.. Mar. 7 . 85 SO. 739 7.45 $0. 160 12.65 $0 . S99 Apr., Mav, June 4.62 . 117 10.5 326 Start Start 14. IS .773 Julv, Aug., Sept. 1 63 .163 28 0 866 3.20 $0 . 292 32.83 1 .321 Oct., Nov., Dec. . 3.09 .280 15. 19 .475 3 . 23 .295 21.51 1 . 050 IS New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 _ dAO 120 i 1D25 ,«' • ^ | A// e720 ?640 o \ *560 form totot ott circuits 4fi0 \ A// \eqtv/onoenf~ 400 % .120 /-/eot/ng Cook/no ooo /-?efr/ - gerot/ar? 240 f-"^"V 160 | Light —f c/rcu/t 1 \yl ao 1 / ^ \ \ ~^* "^ ^ ^ ^ + s ^ L/g/lts ond smaft a?ei//ces I rl/tk/ng mocA/ne and f^u/D/O 0 r t-/eor z/rcu/'f i ,/rcu/t =1 ^' r~* ^ ^» ■ 1 1 1 Fig. 6. Electric load for 1925 and 1926 on Farm No. 4. very considerable increase will be noted during the warm months. The power circuit has been installed for such a short time that the curve is not paricularly important. The transfer of the milking machine and water pump to this circuit is seen in the quick falling off of the light circuit curve. The curve of total consumption shows clearly another case where a desirable summer peak load and one of considerable size occurs. The load building effect is also evident when compared to the consumption in 1925. The curves for the two years in August show an increase in consumption of 925%. Comparatively little farmstead equipment has as yet been developed on this place. Such short term operations as ensilage cutting, wood sawing, etc., are hired out. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 19 FARM NO. 5 (FRUIT) Fruit farms apparently offer less opportunities for electrification outside of the home than any of the other types of farms considered. At the same time, some of the problems arising such as dusting and spraying operations, insect trapping by lights, cider presses, etc., are complex and will require special attention to solve. This farm was the last one in the group to be equipped. DESCRIPTION Two-man farm. Family of two adults. Fourteen room house, with apart- ment for hired man and family. Medium sized stock barn, two buildings for handling and storing crop, garage, implement shed, ice house. 50 acres of tillage, hilly with over 2.000 apple trees. Produced 1600 barrels in 1924. Ten head of cattle, small flock of sheep, 2 horses, delivery car, pleasure car, modern machinery. Farm located one mile from state road, two miles out from village. Buildings wired in July, 1925. One extension of 1.5 miles carried service to 10 subscribers at a cost of $50 to $7.") each for construction. Transformer of 10 K. V. A. EQUIPMENT COSTS The following inventory shows new equipment in Italics. Lighting and Power Circuit Equipment. 1. Wiring of house and barns $450.00 2. House lights — 52 outlets 3. Barn lights — 8 outlets 4. Waffle Iron $15.00; (5) Tablestove 6. Vacuum cleaner (June, 1926) 7. Sewing machine (Aug.. 1926) 5. Washing machine (Oct., 1926) 9. Water pump (Sept., 1926). 238.50 Installation costs and fu Id extension 182.35 S14.00 20 80 3.20 29 00 59 50 85.85 175 00 Heat Circuit 10 Equipment. Group Total $1244.20 (Cost of luat circuit installation is included below). II. Kitchen raio/t Installation costs (Sept., 1926) . Household Refrigerator equipnn nt Installation costs (April, 1926) $173 60 97.40 325.00 22 30 All Group Total $ 618 30 equipment total $1842.50 DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT COSTS Per cent of appliances Per cent of total cost Per cent of circuit cost for appliances Per cent of circuit cost for installation Lighting '81 8 67 5 73 .2 26 .8 Heating 18.2 32 5 79. 21. Household 63.7 82.2 Farmstead 36 3 17.8 Of the total equipment cost 76.1$ is for appliances and 23.9% for installation. 20 New Hampshire Experiment Station | Bulletin 22S Farm No. 5 — Current Consumption and Cost. Table 5 shows the current con- sumption and cost on this farm from August, 1925, when electric service was obtained, to December, 1926. During 1925 only lights and a flat iron were in use. By the end of 1926 all equipment listed under "Equipment Costs" was in oper- ation, but the electric range and water pump were not in service until fall and does include the re- in >m the record, which, however. 1926 does not equipment has indicate been a the increase that can lowed to operate for a are. therefore, omitted frigerator equipment. The total consumption even for be expected when all of the same full year. While the development of a load on this farm has not progressed very far. and wli.it work has been accomplished has been somewhat delayed, Fig. 7 gives an indication of the tendency. The 1926 curve shows a pronounced peak at June, due principally to refrigeration, and extending over the summer months. The curve for 1927 will undoubtedly show quite an increase in this summer peak when the electric range and water pump will be in full operation. TABLE 5. Current Consumption and Costs for 1925 and 1926 — Farm No. 5 1925 August September Ortober November Deeember Total Monthly average. . . . Daily average Average rate per kwh. 1 926 January February March April May June July August September October November Deeember Total Monthly average. . . . Daily average Average rate per kwh Light and Power Circuit Kilowatt Hours 14 20 28 30 58 150 30 la 40 2:', 35 59 48 :;:> 25 32 40 432 36 Cost SI .60 2 . 20 2 84 3.00 5.24 $14.88 2.97 $0,099 $3 . SO 3.80 2.60 2.44 3.40 5.32 I 11 3.75 3 (in 2.60 3.16 3.80 $42. 11 3.50 $0.09 Daily Aver u;i. Kilowatt Hours .451 .666 .903 1 .0 1.87 .978 1 .29 1 .425 .806 .766 1 .129 1 .966 1 .548 1.129 1 .0 .806 1 . 066 I . 29 1. 18 Cost SO 0516 0733 ,0916 ,10 169 $0,097 SO. 122 .135 .0838 .0813 .1096 .1773 .1432 1209 .10 .0838 .1053 .122 $0. 115 March. 1927] Electricity ox New England Farms 21 1 F5 <* 1 3 & 1 60 so , i > equipment lfe 40 / / / 30 / / / ?0 • • r/ectnc Serv- ice /nsTa.'/ed 10 ,-'' Light, zircuit 1 § 0 k \ 9k »0 1 o 60 50 1 1 1 \ \ \ A// equipment. Liqnts one/ smo/> 'dei/ices Pump. /?e - fr/geration 40 1 1 M \ \ \L/ghtarcuit\ .10 \ \ / 1 t \ *-*. S • /?0 \ > ^ f / / '--. s 10 0 - Fig. 7. Electric load for 1925 and 1926 on Farm No. 5. 22 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 FARM NO. 6 (POULTRY) DESCRIPTION Three-man farm. Family of three adults, two children. Ten room brick house. Hay and stock barn, garage, main laying house, and 20 brooder houses and shelters. 180 acres of flat, sandy loam of which 30 are tillable. Lo- cated one mile from town. 2500 laying hens, 20,000 to 25,000 broilers, 20,000 day old chicks, 2 horses, 1 cow, 1 delivery car, 1 pleasure car, modern machinery. 6000 egg incubator using coal hot water heat. Buildings wired seven years. No extra cost for line construction. Transformer of 7.5 K.V.A. EQUIPMENT COSTS The following inventory shows new equipment in Italics: Light and Power Circuit Equipment 1. Wiring House and Barn $350.00 2. Wiring Poultry Buildings and Fixtures 210.00 3. House Lights— 34 Outlets 14.60 4. Barn and Poultry Lights— 30 Outlets 12.00 5. Washing Machine 150 . 00 6. Dishwasher 125.00 7. Waffle Iron $12.00; (8) Heating Pad $8.00 20.00 9. Vacuum Cleaner 60 00 10. Poultry Drinking Fountains (12) (tested only) 21 .00 11. Brooder (tested only) 20 00 12. Water Pump — installed price 135 . 00 Group Total $1117.60 Heat Circuit Equipment General Heating Circuit Wiring (July, 1926) $ 51 . 10 13. Kitchen Range 285.00 Installation Cost (July, 1926) 93.40 14. Hot Water Heater 132.50 Installation Cost (July, 1926) 23.47 15. Household Refrigeration 250 . 00 Installation Cost (May, 1926) 18.70 16. Flat Iron 5.00 Group Total $ 859.17 All equipment total $1976 . 77 DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT COSTS Light and Power Heating Household Farmstead Per cent of appliances 75. 25. 68.8 31.2 Per cent of total cost 56.5 43.5 80. 20. Per cent of circuit cost for appliances 73. 78.3 Per cent of circuit cost for installation 27. 21.7 Of the total equipment cost 76% is for appliances and 24% for installation. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 23 Farm No. 6 — Current Consumption and Costs. In considering the current con- sumed, as shown in Table 6, it should be borne in mind that the house lights, barn and poultry lights, washing machine, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, and water pump were in use throughout both 1925 and 1926. The heat circuit equipment was not installed until June, 1926, but in spite of this fact the total current consumption for 1926 shows 599S kilowatt hours or an increase of 520%. Something of the influence of poultry lights is shown by the figures for the winter months. TABLE 6. Current Consumption and Costs for 1925 and 1926 — Farm No. 6 1925 January February March April May June July August September October November December Year's total Monthly average ... Daily average Average rate per kwh Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept , Oct., Nov., Dec 1926 January February March April May June July August September October November December Year's total Monthly average Daily average Per cent Average rate per kwh. . . . Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept Oct., Nov., Dec Light Circuit Kilo- watt Hours 23 08 58 91 61 47 45 51 60 53 09 958 79.83 197 200 114 69 171 is.", 69 41 49 51 52 80 1278 106.5 3.50 21.31% 5.67 4.67 1.72 1.98 Cost (12. 7 . 9 5 7 51 02 .23 15 42 .12 20 lid 24 .60 16 $84.30 7.025 $0. 0879 $15.45 16.60 10.66 6.12 14.28 1 5 . 4.". 6.12 3 ss 4.52 4.68 4.76 7.00 $109. 52 9. 126 .30 44.23% $0. 0856 $0 474 393 157 178 Heat Circuit Kilo- watt Hours Cost Heat Circuit Installed 680 840 890 760 nun 4720 393.3 25.86 78. 69% Start 22 . 39 28.91 H5.15 20.14 24.70 26.12 22.42 29 . 54 $138.07 11.50 .757 55. 77% $.02925 Start $0,652 .848 Monthly Total All Circuits Kilo- watt Hours 197 200 114 69 171 185 609 721 XS9 941 812 1090 5998 499.8 100% Cost S 1 5 . 45 16 60 10.66 6.12 14.2S 15.45 21.27 24.02 29.22 :;o.,s<> 27.18 36.54 $247. 59 20.63 $0.0412 Daily Average All Circuits Kilo- watt Hours 4 . 90 I 39 3.48 1 ,93 2 93 2.03 1 .51 1 1.5 1 .7 1 .93 1.76 :: 51 2.62 4 . 2.5 2.30 1 . .5.5 2 . 40 6.36 7.14 3.67 2.3 5.51 6.16 19.64 2:1.25 29.63 30 . 35 27.06 35.16 16.43 5.67 4.67 24.11 30.89 Cost 1.411 268 .290 . 174 .230 . ISO .165 .167 . 1 86 .21)1 186 305 $0. 2309 $0,325 .195 . 1 ~:\ . 230 $0 498 .592 .343 .204 .460 . 5 1 5 .686 .774 .974 .996 .906 1.17 $0,678 £0.474 .393 .809 1.03 24 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 1 160 192 5 Form total Light circuit SO A// equipment 0 >. * F e 8 J x * ^ ^ ^ \ 8 1 § 1120 I04O 1! ?2 6 A// equipment | 960 //eating and Cooking opp/ionces aao in V aoo K 720 o < 640 560 A&O 400 //e c/rc ot uit 320 240 165 SO Farm fota/ a// circu/fs M — , **** i / L/g/7t r c/rcu/f ft f/ / % Lights and sma// devices 0 ^••? t / ^, .-'■ 1 Fig. 8. Electric load for 1925 and 1926 on Farm No. 6. The light consumption during the winter months, as shown in Fig. 8, rises as high as might be expected, considering that poultry lights are used. The sudden rise in the heat circuit from November to December is due to experimental operation of certain equipment. Normally the curve would con- tinue to decline somewhat at this season. The curve of total consumption follows very closely the heating circuit curve from June to the end of 1926. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 25 FARM NO. 7 (POULTRY) DESCRIPTION Three to four-man farm. Family of five adults and one child. Twelve room house, three story poultry barn, machinery storage barn, four laying houses, 21 brooder houses, repair shop, pump house and ice house. 184 acres of which 70 are tillable. 2600 laying hens, 15,000 broilers and an annual hatch of 20,000 chicks. 3 horses, 1 cow, 1 delivery truck. 1 pleasure car, modern machinery, 6,000 egg incubator, using coal-hotwater heat. 450 apple trees. Broilers and fresh eggs shipped to Boston and New York. Farm two miles from town. Buildings wired over 10 years without extra line cost. Transformer of 10 K.V.A. EQUIPMENT COSTS The following inventory shows new equipment in Italics. Light Circuit Equipment 1. Wiring house and buildings (estimated) $400.00 2. House lights— 40 outlets 16.00 3. Barn lights— 20 outlets 8.00 4. Washing machine 155.00 5. Percolator $7.50; (6) Curling Iron $3.00; (7) Toaster $5.00 15.50 8. Sewing machine motor drive (Aug., 1926) 22.40 9. Radiant Heater $9.50; (10) Vacuum (leaner $60.00 69.50 Croup Total $686.40 Heat Circuit Equipment General Wiring on heat circuit $107.43 11. Kitchen range (June, 1926) 244.00 Installation cost 82.70 12. Household refrigeration 495.00 Installation cost (May, 1926) 25.20 13. Ironer (June, 1926) 160.00 Installation cost 8.68 14. Hot water heater— (June, 1926) 64.50 Installation cost 19.18 15. Flat Iron 5.25 Group Total $1211.94 Power Circuit Equipment. 16. Motor drive for water pump (June, 1926) $109.75 Installation cost including 12 pole extension 162.92 17. Motor drive, for shop equipment (June, 1926) 75.00 Installation cost 16.70 18. Feed mixer and elevator 175.00 Installation cost (Oct., 1926 and Jan., 1927) 59 00 19. Ultra-violet ray equipment ( Experimental only) 150 00 20. 5 h. p. portable utility motor (July, 1926) 275.00 Installation cost 23.42 21. Han fork hoist 122.77 Installation cost (July, 1926) 7.83 Group Total $1177.39 All equipment — total $3075.73 DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT COSTS Lighting Heating Power Household Farmstead Per cent of appliances 47.6 23.8 28.6 66 6 33.4 Per cent of total cost 22.8 38.2 39. 55.8 44.2 Per cent of circuit cost for applances 80.6 80. 77.2 Per cent of circuit cost for installation 19.4 20. 22.8 Of the total equipment cost 81.5% is for appliances and 18.5% for installation. 26 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 Farm No. 7 — Current Consumption and Costs. During 1925 only the light- ing circuit equipment was in use, but in 1926 the rest of the equipment was in- stalled in time to be available for use when most needed except for the water pump which was not in operation until June and the ironer which was placed in service in May. The feed mixer and elevator and the ultra-violet ray equipment were in the experimental stage and were not used consistently. The total consumption for 1926, shown in Table 7, is an increase of 100% over TABLE 7. Current Consumption and Costs for 1925 and 1926 — Farm No. 7 1925 January. . . February. . March April May June July August . . . September October . . . November. December . Year's total .... Monthly average Daily average. . . Average rate per kwh Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar. . Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept. Oct., Nov., Dec. . 1926 January. . . February . . March April May June July August . . . September October. . . November. December . Year's total . . Monthly average Daily average. Per cent Average rate per kwh Seasonal Daily Averages Jan., Feb., Mar. Apr., May, June July, Aug., Sept Oct., Nov., Dec. Light Circuit Kilo- watt Hours 134 103 89 49 45 45 32 40 44 75 139 275 1070 89. 1 235 204 108 64 46 14 24 22 25 34 66 176 1018 84.8 2.78 47.51%, 6.07 1 .36 .771 3.00 Cost $17.92 12. S6 11.18 6. 38 5.90 5.90 4.34 5.30 5.78 9 . 50 17.18 33.50 $135.74 11.31 $0. 1268 $28.70 24.98 13.46 8.24 6.02 1.93 3.38 3.14 3.50 4.58 8.42 21.62 $127.97 10.66 .35 62.29%, $0.1257 $0,746 .177 .108 .376 Heat Circuit Kilo- watt Hours Start 40 40 201 221 185 184 39 26 936 117 3.82 43.67%, Start 1 .31 6.59 2.70 Cost 0.23 2.90 2.65 9.34 0.14 8.70 8.66 2.86 2.34 $47.82 5.97 .195 23.26%, $0.0510 Start. $0.09 .306 .150 Power Circuit Kilo- watt Hours Cost Start 24 50 49 23 22 14 7 . . « . Start $4.10 5.40 5.35 4.05 4.00 3.60 3.25 189 27 .883 8.82% $29. 75 4.24 .139 14. 45% $0.1574 St 1 art .32 .467 S so tart 16( .11' ) Total All Circuits Kilo- watt Hours 235 204 108 64 86 78 275 292 233 240 119 209 2143 178.5 100%, Cost. $28 . 70 24.98 13.46 8.47 8.92 8.68 18.12 IS. 63 16.25 1 7 . 24 14.88 27.21 $205. 54 17.12 $0. 0959 Daily Average All C IRCUITS Kilo- watt Cost Hours 4.32 $0,578 3.67 . 459 2.S7 .360 1.63 .212 1.45 .190 1.50 .196 1 03 .14(1 1.29 .170 1.46 .190 2.41 . 306 4.63 .572 8.87 1.08 2.93 $0.37 3.62 $0,466 1.52 .199 1.26 .165 5.31 .654 7.58 $0,925 7.28 892 3.48 434 2.13 282 2.77 287 2.60 289 8.87 585 9.41 600 7.76 541 7.74 556 3 . 96 496 6.74 877 5.87 $0,563 6.07 $0,746 2.67 .267 8.68 .574 6.17 643 March, 1927] Electricity ox New England Farms 1 1 I . - 0: 1 ^ 8 k k 0 _2flQ 2ao £40 I 'zoo. i / / fc |jao i / / i 0 s 160 i / i 140 i i Light circuit on/u i?o i / / / IOO V / / / / AO > \ \ / / / 1 60 i / / / 40 \ > *N ^ - / / / eo N .-'" o Fig. 9. Electric load for 1925 on Farm No. 7. 1925. The difference in value in the lighting circuit for the second year is due principally to transfer of some equipment to other circuits. The lighting circuit curves for both 1925 and 1926, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, are much the same and indicate a well fixed plan of operation. The high con- sumption at the beginning and end of the year shows clearly the load resulting from poultry lights used systematically and in sufficient amount. The bulk of the load from the heating circuit was between June and November with a fairly consistent high consumption between July and October. The volume 28 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S 1 S I 1 \ \ ^ ^ \ k 8 ^ 3 260 £60 2.40 Farm total a// circuits All equipment 3 £0C \i 0 1 JflQ \ it k I / f i k k I6C Light circuit L ights and smo/l devices I p 140 \\ \\ \\ 1 / / / IPO \1 \\ \1 f / / / f / IOO V \ \ ' / / / so / / / _ eo V \/ 1 4-G IX \ L/ ^" — — \ / \ 2C 1 \. r / t/ec/t/ng ond Cooking c ... /■ N, —- \ Rump ond Flower circuit Power devices • Fig. 10. Electric load for 1926 on Farm No. 7. of canning, baking and preserving for a family of six is clearly evident. The equipment was not used extravagantly; in fact rather careful attention was given to the current consumed. Aside from the shop equipment and water pump the greater part of the power circuit equipment has not passed out of the experimental stage. The time that this circuit lias been operating is limited, but apparently a summer peak load may be expected if such short term operations as hay hoisting are made prac- tical. The increase in total consumption for the month of July amounts to 7607c in favor of the 1926 curve, showing again the effect of load building. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 29 CONCLUSIONS The data given in Tabic 8 for the seven farms as a group show an average increase in consumption less than in three individual cases and more than in the four remaining, and indicate thai the farm load in general can be materially increased. The average 1925 consumption for all the seven farms of 1683 kilowatt hours increased to 4253 kwhs. in 1926. This increase of 152% is in spite of several dif- ferent conditions. Farms 2 and 3 showed little or no increase due to being well equipped from the start; on the fruit farm. Xo. 5. only a small load could be built and the poultry farms. Nos. 6 and 7, did not gel started until May and June. Farms 1 and 4 were operating for the full year. The variation ranges from a 520'/^ increase to a 3.29< decrease. The latter is of no particular signif- icance, being. only a normal fluctuation in production or efficiency. TABLE 8. Kilowatt Hour Consumption on All Experimental Farms for 1925 and 1926 Farm No. 1 (Dairy 1 Farm No. 2 (Dairy) Farm No. 3 (Dairy) Farm No 4 (Dairy) Farm No. 5 (Fruit) Farm No. 6 (Poultry) Farm No. 7 (Poultry) Average All Farms Total 1925 Kirl, 1672 769 l 360% Kwhs. 3362 3252 3.2% decrease Kwhs. 2332 .'770 12% Kwhs. 2036 7482 267% Knhs. 300* 432 14%* Kwhs. 958 5998 520% Kwhs. 1070 21 13 100% Kwhs. 1683 Total 1 026 .... 4253 Per cent increase 152% Average monthly J 1025.. . consumption. . 1 1926.. . 1 39 . .3 641 .1 280.1 271 104.3 230 . 8 169.6 623.5 30* 36 79.83 499.8 89.1 178.5 136.5 354.3 Seasonal Daily Averages 1925 :; 16 2.13 •1 . 3 1 7.56 5 21 10.55 12.58 - 12 7 . 27 5 . 1 3 5.71 7.45 6.00 5.73 3.45 6.98 1 25 2 30 1 . 55 2.40 3.62 1.52 1.26 5.31 4.92 Spring 4.56 4.81 Fall 6.35 1920 Winter 13.22 17.5 28.9 24.23 5 . 39 0 , 70 11 .72 8 65 7 . 93 7.37 7.11 7.5s 12.65 14.18 32 . 83 21 .51 5.67 l.e,7 24 . 1 1 30.89 6.07 2.67 8.68 6.17 13.40 Spring 9.36 18.95 Fall 16.50 Average rate < .„.,,. $0.(170 .045 $0,101 .104 $0,071 .070 $0,085 .1110 $0,099 .09 $0.0 vs .041 $0 . 1 26 .096 $0,003 .071 * Estimated for a 12 months basis. The consumption in each of the winter, spring and summer seasons of 1925 remained quite steadily in the neighborhood of 23f A of the total for the year, and increased to about 31% in the fall. In 1926 the total consumption of all farms was distributed with 23% in the winter. 16rf in the spring, 32% in the summer and 28$ in the fall. Comparing the two years, an increase in consumption occurred generally in all seasons, but most markedly in the summer, amounting to 292% for the seven farms, and showing how the peak of the farm load has been shifted to that sea- son. Heating circuit equipment including refrigeration, electric ranges and water heaters are so far principally responsible. The average rate for all seven farms in 1925 of 9 3-10 cents was reduced to 7 1-10 cents in 1926. Two companies reduced their rates during 1926 which had some effect in this direction; but the fact that with greater consumption there is usually a sliding scale to reduce the cost should not be overlooked. In fact, this is a point of consequence to those who can use electricity in considerable quantity. 30 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 Figures from the projects in other sections, organized in a similar way, may be of general interest at this point, though it should be recalled that all projects in this field are in varying stages of development. The average annual consump- tion on the Red Wing experimental line, Minnesota project, for ten consumers was 3,362 kilowatt hours for the year April, 1925, to March, 1926, or 280 kwhs. per month. A survey of 414 farms of all types using electricity in Virginia (non experimental) showed an average annual consumption per farm of 573.5 kilowatt hours, or 47.8 kwhs. per month. The Whitesburgh Pike line, a practical rural extension on the Alabama project, having 10 farmer customers, averaged 1050 kwhs. per farm in 1925 or 87.5 kwhs. per month. A six months record from the Illinois project shows that for the ten farms under test each consumed an ave- rage total of 1445 kilowatts or 241 kwhs. per month, indicating a possible total of 2890 kwhs. per year or thereabouts. The South Dakota test line consisting of 17' farms had, in the first year of operations, an average consumption per farm per year of 785 kwhs. or 65 kwhs. per month* While, as previously stated, the New Hampshire experimental farms are not meant to represent average conditions, the possibilities of building an apprecia- ble electric load on farms in New England appear to be very favorable. Further- more, the number of customers per mile of line is probably greater in New Eng- land than in other sections due to the smaller farms and generally more dense population, making a more desirable condition for rural extensions. From the data thus far it would seem that the farm house is the logical starting point in applications, and that further research and development of applications is de- sirable, especially for farmstead operations. While the records are still too limited to draw many detailed conclusions, some general tendencies appear more or less fixed. The lighting circuits on all except poultry farms do not vary greatly, except in the time of fluctuations, from those of any home. On poultry farms this con- sumption may rise considerably in the winter if poultry lights are used. This practice occurs at dusk and dawn, however, which brings it on the edges of the city night load. At the present time power circuits, operating milking machines, water pumps and short term operations seem to have little well defined regularity throughout the year. While the consumption is quite irregular, it does remain within cer- tain limits, in most cases, without any pronounced peaks. This is logical con- sidering the type of equipment operated from it. Heating equipment, such as refrigeration, ranges, ironers, water heaters, etc., produces the greatest effect in the total consumption and develops peak load in midsummer. Except in cases where only straight electric ranges are used, this circuit will taper off to a very small amount in the cold months. Where elec- tricity is used for cooking the year around, a very appreciable consumption should take place, still coming to a peak in midsummer. If low winter consumption as well as high summer consumption is desirable, the combination range, which will probably be most popular with the majority of farmers, would probably produce this effect. At the same time if the cost of operating electric water heaters proves prohibitive, the above type of range makes it possible to care for this service for most of the year. Reviewing the curves of total consumption, the peaks occurring in midsummer are repeated sufficiently to emphasize the point that they are characteristic of the farm load. The dairy farms, in general, tend to fall off in use in the winter months. Poultry farms follow the same general trend until poultry lighting starts in the fall, which may bring in another peak in January. Fruit farms will probably have characteristics similar to dairy farms but with less total consumption. The rural load is almost entirely a daytime load. Except for such appliances as refrigerators and water heaters, which may be run automatically, the farm practically stands at no load for most of the night. The former draw compar- atively little current and the latter are seldom run automatically. The appliances in use have three fairly definite characteristics; namely, (1) intermittent operation for short periods of time; (2) regularity in time of use; (3) operation to near full capacity of machine. This is, of course, exclusive of machines set for automatic operation. •Figures are from C.R.E.A. bulletins 7, 6, and S, Vol. II; 1926 report of Illinois project; and South Dakota Ext. Cir. 232. March, 1927] Electricity ox New England Farms 31 RATES AND CIRCUITS The rates used on the farms in the experimental group are those prevailing in the territory in which the farm is located. Special study of the subject of rates is not included in the plan of the project, and no particular material has been collected. It appears that most of the utility companies in making a rate for rural cus- tomers have taken one of their established rates for city consumers and applied it, to the rural extensions, temporarily. Inasmuch as the rural business of most of these companies has been comparatively small and adequate information on the subject scarce, very few have made a special rate which would be particularly adapted to this class of business. For this reason some of the rates in use at the present time are not entirely satisfactory from the standpoint of the farmer, while in other cases the rate may be quite practical. That lighting and heating rates, or their equivalent in the form of a combina- tion schedule, are practical and should be available to rural customers seems to be apparent, but just what position should be taken as regards what might be called power appliances is not so evident at present. Experience indicates that there is probably no advantage in using the usual commercial power schedule, which has not been drawn up for this type of load, for the purpose of providing service at a reduced rate. The characteristics of the power load are sufficiently different from those of commercial organizations to warrant separate considera- tion. A combination rate, allowing the use of light, heat and power appliances and requiring but one meter, has some attractive features in this respect. APPLICATIONS The following pages give a brief description of the various individual appli- ances in use on tin1 farms, current consumption or cost of operation, where it has been obtained, and some observations on the operation and use. For the sake of brevity the material is not given in detail. More complete information will appear in other reports. CO-OPERATING MANUFACTURERS FURNISHING EQUIPMENT The manufacturers co-operating by furnishing equipment on the consignment basis for the experi- ments are as follows: — Standard (las Equipment Corporation, Aurora, 111.; Malleable Iron Range Com- pany. Beaver Dam. Wis.; The Mayt:m Company, Newton, Iowa; Sepco-Automatic Klectric Heater Co., Warren, Penn.; Graybar Electric Company, New York City; Duro Pump Company of Boston, Boston, Mass.; Cooper, Hewitt Electric Co., Hoboken, N. J.; Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich.; The IceMaster Company, Haverhill, Mass.; The Gould Manufacturing Co., Boston, Mass.; Syracuse Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y.; F. S. Hardy & Company, Boston, Mass.; F. E. Myers & Brothers Company, Ashland, Ohio; General Electric Company, Schenectady, N. Y.; The Oakes Manufacturing Co., Tipton, Ind.; Lindemann & Hoverson Company, Milwaukee, Wis.; Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., East Pittsburgh, Penn.; Eden Washer Corporation, New York City; Electric Household Utilities Corp., Boston, Mass.; Edison Electric Appliance Co., Chicago, 111.; Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Conn.; Deere & Company, Moline, 111.; Singer Sewing Machine Co., New York City; Manning Bowman & Company, Meriden, Conn.; Fanstool Products Company and John P. Ilainbault Co., New York City; American Ironing Machine Co., Chicago, 111.; Detroit Battery Charger Co., Detroit, Mich.; Delco-Light Company, Dayton, Ohio; The Emerson Electric Mfg. Co., St. Louis, Mo.; Electric Controller Co., Green- field. Ind.; Loudon Machinery Co.. Albany, N. Y.; G. W. & C. A. Lane, Exeter, N. H.; The Russell Electric Co., Chicago, 111.; The Ilg Electric Ventilating Co., Boston, Mass. and Chicago, 111.; Wagner Electric Corporation. Boston, Mass.; Wellington J. Smith Co., Cleveland, Ohio; The Gillette Clipping Machine Co., Inc., New York City. Others Pending. POWER & LIGHT COMPANIES RENDERING ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE Assistance rendered by the following electric companies, serving the experimental farms, has been par- ticularly helpful. Concord Electric Co. (Penacook branch), Concord, N. H.; Hampshire Road Power & Light Co., Salem, N. H; Grafton County Power & Light Co., Lebanon, N. H; Twin State Cas & Electric Co., Dover, N. H; Contoocook Electric Co., Contoocook, N. H; Franklin Light & Power Co., Franklin, N. H.; Exeter & Hampton Electric Co., Exeter, N. H; Lawrence Gas & Electric Co., Lawrence, Mass. 32 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 FARM HOME EQUIPMENT House Wiring. Sec Item No. 1 in each list of "Equipment Costs". The ten- dency of regulations and codes in New England is to require wiring to be done by a licensed and approved electrical contractor. House Lighting. This is the most common use of electricity and usually the first to be suggested by an applicant for service. Properly installed, electric lights should be an aid in reducing the heavy loss from fire that occurs annually on New England farms. Such devices as curling irons, vacuum cleaners, sewing machines, waffle irons and flat irons are commonly operated from a lamp socket. The farm homes range in size from ten to fifteen rooms. While 60 to 75 watt lamps will be found in locations used considerably, the 40 watt size is the most common. The many advantages of this system of lighting are too well known to require discussion, but much can still be accomplished in the way of education in correct and efficient illumination. Maximums, as shown in Table 9. occur from late December to early February. The minimums occur, for the most part, in August. TABLE 9. House Lighting Records on Experimental Farms 30 Day Periods Approximate Kilowatt Hours Farm ( (utlets Extent of Record Number Minimum Maximum Average 1 25 12 58 32.4 January to December '26 2 25 6 26 15.2 August '25 to December '26 3 55 11 59 35 July '25 to December '26 4 42 28 54 63.3 February to December '26 0 52 20 58 33.6 August '25 to December '26 6 34 IS 52 36 June to December '26 7 40 8 50 26.6 May to December '26 Average 39 14.7 51 34.6 Sewing Machines. The current consumed by motor-driven sewing machines is so small as to be difficult of accurate measurement and records are not given at this time. The labor of which they relieve the woman of the house, however, is quickly appreciated. One standard portable machine and three standard type machines with attach- able motor drive are in operation on the farms. Vacuum Cleaners. Each farm is equipped with a vacuum cleaner which is now considered as a necessary piece of equipment. Information on operation and cost will be available. Fly trapping is an interesting new use for this appliance. One housewife rids the house and milk-room of flies by attaching the hose noz- zle and moving it past the flies at dusk or dawn when they are still sluggish. They quickly disappear. Water Supply. Very little question exists as to the improved efficiency of a water supply system operated by electric motor power; and while a long exten- sion may involve a heavy first cost, the investment relieves the farmer of a great deal of trouble. On the dairy farms, large quantities of water are used for wash- ing utensils, for steam boilers and for milk cooling. Applications on the farms are as follows: Farm No. 1. A shallow well, automatic pump, furnishing water to the entire farm through a pneumatic tank system. One bathroom in the house. Farm No. 3. A shallow well pump furnishing water for household use only (bathroom in house) from a storage tank in the attic. Farm No. 4. Deep well pump drawing water from 7.~> ft. artesian well and supplying house (no bathroom) and barns. Drinking cups are used for the cows. Farm No. 5. A deep well pump is required in this case to elevate the water from a shallow well to a concrete storage tank on the hill above. A windmill is March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms also connected. Water is supplied to house (has bathroom) and barns by gravity. A large quantity is required for spraying the fruit trees at critical times, and the electric pump furnishes a dependable supply. Farm No. 7. A heavy duty pump which forces water from a meadow spring into an elevated tank on a hill, from which it flows by gravity to supply house, barns and poultry buildings. /•'"/-/// No. 0. Shallow well pump and small pneumatic tank or "fresh-from- thc-well" supply system furnishing house (has bathroom), barns and poultry buildings. No well defined regularity is apparent in the sumption of current for water supplies. This is tions locally, such as difference in wells, lack of stock in pasture, etc. The motors used range from 1-6 to \xfa H. P. maximum and minimum con- due to the variation in condi- rainfall, methods of handling TABLE 10. Water Pump Records on Experimental Farms Farm Head of Stock Supplied Family of 30 Day Period Approximate Kilowatt Hours Extent of Record Number Minimum Maximum \\ crage 1 3 4 5 7 6 48 29 IS* * * 6 5 ti 2 5 6 2»; 3 20 15 : 9 43 5 61 38 48 22 39 3.7 35 23 25 . it 15.5 January to December '26 July '25 to December '26 November '25 to December '26 September to December '26 June to December '26 May to December '26 Average 5 13.3 36 23.7 * Refer to Farm Description. Electric Ranges. Six electric ranges are in use. Two general types are represented, — the straight electric range and the combination range which has a compartment for burning wood or coal. On two farms the electric range is used in addition to a wood or coal range. All ranges operate from separate heat circuits, or the equivalent, to obtain lower rates. Farm No. 1. A straight electric range has been the only means of cooking for over a year. It is equipped with four surface plates, one large and one small oven, automatic time and temperature controls, master switch, automatic oven, ventilation and convenience outlet. The connected load is 9,000 watts. Farm No. 6. A straight electric range has been the only means of cooking for five months. It is equipped with four surface plates, one large and one small oven, automatic time and temperature control and master switch. The con- nected load is 8,500 watts. Farm No. 4. A combination coal-electric range assists the furnace in heating a large exposed kitchen. The coal fire-box. having two surface lids, may also be used for burning wood, and is equipped with a water front for heating hot water. (An electric water heater is also in use.) The electric section of the range is equipped with four surface units and standard size oven. As there is no oven heated by the firebox, it is necessary to do all oven baking and cooking by electricity. No automatic controls are used and the regulation of temperature is accomplished manually, guided by an oven thermometer. Farm No. 3. A very complete combination wood-electric range is in use. The wood burning section has four surface lids and also heats a standard size oven. Brass coils in the fire-box provide hot water which is heated electrically when the fire is out, or in emergency. Three surface plates and a separate oven are heated electrically. No automatic controls are used; temperatures are maintained man- ually through the three-way switches guided by an oven indicator. Under the existing condition the electric section holds the position of an auxiliary cooking unit which is utilized only during the extremely warm days of summer, for emergency, or to meet the requirements in a rush season, such as canning time, when all heating equipment is needed. 34 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S Farm No. -5. A wood range has been retained to heat the kitchen, and a separate electric range installed. The electric range has three surface burners, a standard size oven, master switch and automatic time and temperature controls. This has been installed for so short a time that the records are withheld. Records for the five farms are given in Table 11. Farm No. 7. In the large kitchen both a regulation wood range, supplement- ing the furnace, and an electric range are used. The volume of work carried on indicates that the combined capacity of the two ranges is advisable. The elec- tric range has four surface plates, one large and one small oven, a warming closet, and automatic time and temperature controls. TABLE 11. Kitchen Range Records on Experimental Farms Farm Number Family of Type of liange 30 Day Periods Approximately Kilowatt Hours Extent of Record Minimum Maximum Average 1 3 4 5 7 6 6 5 6 2 5 6 Straight electric. . . . Combination (wood) Combination (coal) . Electric range with wood range Electric range with wood range Straight electric. . , . 96 4 171 No 14 244 28 1 102 429 records as 140 295 196 26 282 yet 74 260 December '25 to December '26 August '25 to December '26 January to December '26 October to December '26 June to I )ecember '26 July to December '26 Average all types 5 106 234 167 Both types of ranges are found practical and more desirable for cooking than coal or wood ranges by the housewives. Cost of operation is not considered ex- cessive. Initial cost of equipment is probably a greater factor with rural buyers than with city residents. While the availability of wood seems to have had no pronounced influence for or against the installation of electric ranges, it does have a marked influence on the type of range selected and the resulting current consumption. Farm ranges are required to carry maximum loads very frequently; therefore rugged construction is desirable. A master switch for protecting the appliance during electrical storms should be required, if not provided by the manufacturer. Black enamel or black enamel with white panel trim is recommended for dur- ability and ease of cleaning. Automatic controls, both time and temperature, are undoubtedly very impor- tant for economical operation, and arc to be recommended. The lack of such control on Farm No. 4 is undoubtedly responsible in part for the relatively heavy current consumption. Local conditions, such as heating the kitchen, providing large quantities of hot water and the local fuel situation, are important to consider. Year-around baking, summer canning and cooking extra heavy meals for sum- mer help are the outstanding uses. The total current consumption of ranges in farm homes will probably be higher than those operated in the city due to the greater amount of cooking done. The maximum consumption shown in the table occurred regularly in August and September. The minimum varies from December to April. Fireless Cooker. Fireless cookers appear to be of little practical value after the installation of an electric range, due to the fact that the range ovens are able to do even more than the cooker is capable of. No record of a fireless cooker used alone is available at present. Household Refrigeration. Electric household refrigeration appears now to be an outstanding success. Its many advantages are as fully recognized by the farmer and his wife as by any city user. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms oo Farm Xo. 1. This commercial unir consists of a refrigerator of 0V2 cubic feet capacity with the mechanical equipment mounted in the base. It is located in the kitchen where it is subjected to average house temperatures. The cabinet is metal, cork-lined. The equipment is operated 12 months of the year. Farm No. 2. The refrigerator is built mto the house with an ice-filling door out through the wall to permit outside icing in the past. It was built by a local carpenter and contains no insulation. It is considerably larger than the average refrigerator in cubic feet of storage space. During the winter months the cur- rent is shut off and natural temperatures utilized by means of the outside door. Farm No. 4. A small section of the dairy cooling room is finished in cabinet form for the storage of food. The room is within reasonable distance of the kitchen door so that the plan has proved very practical. The cooling room is somewhat larger in size, and the cost of operation is increased in proportion. (See Cooling Room No. 4.) It is planned to operate nine months with elec- tricity and three months with natural temperatures. Farm No. 5. The refrigerator contains 11 1-3 cubic feet storage space and has no special insulating material in its wall construction. It is located in a mod- erately cool room and used lor only nine months out of the year. The com- pressor unit is in the basemenl immediately underneath. Farm Xo. 6. The refrigerator contains about o'L> cubic feet storage space and is well insulated with cork. Twelve months operation is practiced against aver- age house temperature-. Farm No. 7. This is a cork insulated, wood case, commercially made, electric refrigerator, witli the mechanical unit built into the cabinet. It has nine cubic feet, of storage capacity and operates in a room which stands at average house- hold temperature. The equipment is used for only nine months of the year. TABLE 12. House Refrigerator Records on Experimental Farms Farm Family of 30 Day Pkkiods Approximately Km < >u \rr i I ours 1 Ixtent of Record Number Minimum Maximum Average 1 2 4 5 6 7 6 3 6 2 5 6 30 0 0 0 17 40 97 House Refrig (See X :;:, 85 56 37.8 39.5 erator combin 0. 4, Dair\ ( ' 23 37.2 39 August to December '26 August '25 to December '26 ed with Dairy Cooler ooling Room) August to December '26 June to December '26 May to December '26 Average 5 9.4 62.5 35.3 Any well-made refrigerator, if properly insulated, is believed suitable, but proper insulation is an important factor in economical operating costs. No specific size is in demand though boxes of somewhat larger size than those used by the average city family are favored. The operation of the refrigerators for nine months and the utilizing of natural temperatures for the remaining three is at present the most common practice. Two farms, however, are already operating on a 12-months basis, and this will be more generally practiced, as the advantages and economy in food spoilage from using a controlled temperature are appreciated. Maximum consumption for household refrigerators occurs during July, August or September. Where used for 12 months under excessively warm conditions, this might not hold true. Minimum consumption is reached in the cold "months. Dishwashers. Two dishwashers of the propeller type have been in use for a considerable length of time on two of the farms. One is considered by the housewife practical, while the use of the other has been discontinued. Farm Xo. 3. This machine is rectangular in shape, having one removable rack large enough to hold the dishes from a family of five. One teakettle of water is required for washing and one for rinsing. Dishes are as easily placed in tin washer as in a dishpan and may be left in the rack to steam dry. A common soap powder is used. The water is drawn off through a spigot valve, which may 36 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 be connected with the plumbing if desired. When not in use the machine forms a table surface by means of a hinged cover. Two kilowatt-hours per month is regularly used for washing the dishes three times a day. Farm No. 6. This washer is circular in shape and contains two racks, one above the other, for holding the dishes. The washing action is satisfactory, but the housewife feels that she can handle the dishes in the dishpan with the same amount of effort and does not have to take care of the washer after the opera- tion is over. Use of the machine has been discontinued. The development of a dishwasher which will meet general approval in prac- tical use is of great interest to the farm housewife because of the quantity of dishes handled. The failure to handle pots, pans and kettles is the most common disadvantage mentioned. The quantity of water required is important, and the propeller washing action is very effective. Successful operation appears to involve the size and shape of the machine and the rack for holding the dishes. One single rack of large capacity is desirable. Kitchen Ventilating Fans. One such device is in use and is found to be very effective in removing cooking odors, steam and gases from the kitchen. Fans are generally furnished mounted on a panel which is easily attached to a window in such a way that the sash may be opened or closed as desired. Records of cur- rent consumption and use will be available. Electric Water Heaters. Results obtained from the use of electric water heaters emphasize the need of consideration from two distinct angles: (1) the degree of mechanical and electrical efficiency of the heater itself; and (2) the cost of operation. It appears now that the latter point is the limiting factor to their adoption and successful use. The heaters in use in the experiment have given, without exception, a very high grade service. The only difficulty experienced during the past season was one case of a loose connection — a fault of installation. Farm No. 1. This complete unit consists of a 15-gallon insulated tank with automatic and manual current control, so that a continuous supply may be main- TABLE 13. Hot Water Heater Records on Experimental Farms Farm Family of 30 Day Periods Approximately Kilowatt Hours Number Minimum Maximum Average Extent of Record 1 3 4 7 6 6 5 6 5 6 116 3 5 480 280 41 280 26 580 191 1 5 . 2 139 15 548 June to December 'L'fi July to December '26 June to December '26 June to December '26 July to December '26 Average 120 241 182 tained or water may be heated as needed. The equipment is located in the bath- room, and furnishes hot water also for the kitchen a short distance away. Water is heated only as needed during the week, and on days when a large amount of water is used is heated automatically. No other water heater is used. Farm No. 3. A circulation type healer is attached to the original 30 gallon, uninsulated range boiler, and is used only as an auxiliary, for emergency or in the warm summer months. Insulation of the tank was omitted because of its constant exposure to the heat of the range. The bulk of the hot water used dur- ing the year is heated from a coil in the firebox of the combination range. Water is supplied to the kitchen and bath. The current is turned on and off by hand. Farm No. 4. A circulation-type heater is attached to a 30-gallon range boiler which furnishes water to the kitchen only. The boiler has been uninsulated for the past season due to its close proximity to the firebox of the combination range. The electric heater is used mostly during the summer months and in emergencies. The current is turned on and off manually, for the most part, to reduce the cost of operation. March. 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 37 Farm No. 7. This is also a circulation type heater connected to a 40-gallon in- sulated kitchen range boiler, which furnishes water to the kitchen and bathroom. It is used as an auxiliary and during the hot summer months. During the greater part of the year the hot water is supplied from a water front in the firebox of the regulation kitchen range. The current is controlled manually. Farm No. 6. As in the first case, this is a complete unit consisting of a 15-gal- lon insulated tank with automatic and manual current control. The heater is located in the basement and furnishes water to the kitchen and bathroom located on the floor above. The run of pipe from the heater to both of these locations is particularly long and. at the same time, these pipes are exposed to quite cool temperatures the year around. Both intermittent and continuous opera- tion have been employed, the latter to supply 24-hour service. This is the severest test to which any of the heaters have been subjected, and is at the same time typical of a type of service which many people have come to expect. Results are given in Table 13. The heaters have given a high degree of service and are considered very de- sirable and efficient from the mechanical and electrical standpoint. The cost of operation for the type of service which the people are accus- tomed to, however, is excessive. The circulation-type heater that can be attached to, and thereby make use of, the present boiler equipment is favored because of its lower first cost and ap- parently lower cost of operation. Insulation of storage tanks and possibly pipe lines is an important point. Particular pains should be taken to locate the heater in a central position, if possible, with respect to the points where the water will be used in order to cut down the length of pipe exposed to radiation. Exposure of these pipes to cold should be avoided. TABLE 14. Washing Machine Records on Experimental Farms Farm Tubsful of Clothes Family of 30 Day Periods Approximately Kilowatt Hours Extent of Record Number Minimum Maximum Average 1 2 3 4 7 6 3-4 3 4 6-7 5 2-3 6 3 5 6 5 6 1 2 2 3 1 1 3 8 3 4 2 2 1.6 5.7 2.3 3.5 1.7 1 January to December '26 August '25 to December '26 July '25 to December '26 March to December '26 June to December '26 May to December '26 Average 4 5 1.6 3.6 2.6 Washing Machines. The washing machine is considered important on the farm where washings are large and heavy and access to commercial laundries often impossible. All farms in the experimental group are equipped with elec- tric driven washing machines representing cylinder, vacuum cup and submerged TABLE 15. Flat Iron Records on Experimental Farms Farm Tubsful of Clothes Family of 30 Day Periods Approximately Kilowatt Hours Extent of Record Number Minimum Maximum Average 1 3 4 6 3-4 4 6-7 2-3 6 5 6 6 4 4 7 5 10 9 10 10 7.8 5.8 8.6 7 January to December '26 July '25 to December '26 March to September '26 (Now using ironing machine) May to December '26 Average 4 6 5 9.9 7.3 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S gyrator types. Like the water supply system for the man of the farm, the wash- ing machine is likely to be the housewife's first choice. Table 14 gives the results to date. The current consumed by washers is fairly regular for most of the year, with the maximum occurring in mid-summer. Flat Irons. The advantages of the electric fiat iron are well known. There have been cases where (he flat iron was used several years before electric lights were installed. With the introduction of an ironing machine the use of the flat iron is practically eliminated except for occasional pieces. The maximum consumption shown in Table 15 occurs in July and August and the minimums in April and May. Ironing Machines. The ironing machine is likely to be as important in the farm home as in the city, due to the greater amount of washing and ironing which is- doae. The use of this machine almost eliminates the flat iron. Much less time is required and practically everything may be ironed. The small house- hold size machines, having a 30" to a 36" roll with one open or semi-open end, are preferred on account of their compact size and improped operating features. Two ironing machines have been obtained up to this time, though it is ex- pected that more will be available. The desirability of ironers lies in the lessen- ing of fatigue, increasing the pleasure of the work, shortening the time of operation and increasing the quantity of material ironed. These appliances are operated from the separate heating circuits to obtain lower rates. Farm No. 4. This machine of the semi-open end type, having a 26" roll operated by a 1-6 h. p. motor, requires 1650 watts for the heating shoe. A mov- able table leaf in front controls the operation. When not in use for ironing, a hinged top may be turned down protecting the working parts and providing a table surface. Farm No. 7. This 3,000-watt ironer with a 30" roll and one open end has proven very practical. It is conveniently arranged in the way of controls, and provision is made for easy oiling. It may be stored in a comparatively small space. Results are given in Table 16. TABLE 16. Ironing Machine Records on Experimental Farms Farm Tubsful of Clothes Family of 30 Day Periods Approximately Kilowatt Hours Extent of Record Number Minimum Maximum Average 4 7 6-7 5 6 5 17 6 23 9 18.3 7.2 August to December '26 June to December '26 Average 11.5 16 12.7 The length of roll has proved a factor in economical operation, and of the two machines the 30" roll has been found more practical. The personal factor is also important and the housewife can reduce the current consumption greatly, and incidentally the ironing time, by learning how to use the machine. Very TABLE 17. Barn Lights Records on Experimental Farms Farm Outlets 30 Day Periods Approximately Kilowatt Hours Extent of Record Number Minimum Maximum Average 1 2 3 16 22 20 0 1 1 11 13 42 5.5 I :; 13.9 January to December '26 August '25 to December 'L't> August '25 to December '26 Average 19 .6 22 7.9 March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 39 little ironing is found that the machine will not handle. Initial cost is consid- ered somewhat high. FARMSTEAD EQUIPMENT Barn Lighting. The fire hazard of flame lights for barns is so great that practically all farmers arc glad to remove this possible danger with electric lights. The additional advantages need no discussion. All barns in the group are wired for this service, and the tendency is to in- crease the number of outlets and. therefore, the quality of illumination. Forty watt lamps are most commonly used. Records are given in Table 17. Shop Equipment. Probably the most useful articles in a farm shop arc an emery wheel, grindstone, drill press and combination rip and cross-cut table saw. Two such shops are in operation and are found to be of great value in repair and upkeep of equipment and properly. Especially when break-downs occur in rush season is the quick electric power appreciated. The cost of operation is very low — 1 kilowatt hour being the maximum during the past season. This is considered lower than could be regularly expected due to the small amount of work done. Wood Sawing. Sawing wood with a 5 H. P. portable motor, using a 24- inch saw, showed, by a demand meter, that 3 H. P. was utilized. The usual run of farm woodlot growth was can, ranging from 2" to 7" in diameter. Some 7" frozen maple was included and was easily handled by the motor which pro- vided steady, even power at all time-. Fertilizer Grinding. Commercial fertilizers are frequently received in such a hard lumpy condition that they cannot be mixed or fed through the distrib- uting machines. Pulverizing by pounding is usually resorted to. A discarded feed grinder was adapted and found to quickly and easily do the work. A portable utility motor was used as power. Portable Motors. Two portable motors of 1V-± and 5 H. P. respectively are being used, the former on a. dairy farm (1) and the latter on a poultry farm (6). The past season's work has been largely concerned with finding as many suit- able operations as possible. The question in this cast- is to determine whether there is sufficient work for them to do to justify their cost. Short term opera- tions have so far offered the most practical openings, and during the past sea- son they have been successfully used for hay hoisting, fertilizer grinding and sawing wood. An attempt to cut and elevate ensilage with the 7!i> H. P. was unsuccessful, though there are indications that it may be accomplished by a new method of operation just being introduced. Until this method is proven practical in the field, not less than 10 H. P. should be considered for ensilage cutting with the prevailing practice of high-cutter speeds and forced feeding that is common on our farms today. Due to the interruptions in testing the adaptability of the equipment, cur- rent consumption readings for the past season are not accurate in all cases and, therefore, omitted. FRUIT EQUIPMENT An Apple Sorter and Grader. The use of such a machine is fast becoming a necessity if New England apple growers are successfully to meet competition from Western and Southern growers. Such machines may be privately owned or operated by a commercial packing house. The test here reported was made in cooperation with the Horticultural De- partment of the University, using the crop from the college orchards. The maximum capacity of the grader is close to 200 packed boxes a day (9 hours) with experienced help. The grading and packing occupied 13 days or a total of 93 hours, during which time the equipment was operated intermittently, The help used consisted of 4 to 5 packers, 2 receivers and graders, 1 nailing and general. Only two of these eight were experienced workers. A total of 2100 bushels of apples were put through the machine, producing 1750 boxes. Sixty per cent of these were A grade, and 40 percent were B grade. Twenty-five kilowatt hours of electricity were consumed by the % h. p. motor for the entire operation. The failure of current for approximately two hours was the only interruption that occurred. Seven 75-watt electric lights were II) New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 required to illuminate the working space about the machine which measures 20x40 feet. The current consumed by these lamps for the entire period of op- eration was 52.5 kwh. Graders of this type cost in the neighborhood of $800. The cost of operation per bushel was .014 kwh. and the cost for lighting .03 kwh. per bushel. DAIRY EQUIPMENT Milking Machines. Milking machines are considered as thoroughly practical and standard equipment in the New England section. Many dairy farmers have been operating them for quite a few years with gas engine power if not with electric. The most important point is to keep the equipment clean and sterile. With this well taken care of. very little difficulty arises from their use. Three hours per week should be sufficient for this. Each of the four dairy farms is equipped with stationary installed milkers, three of which are double units (3 units per farm) and the other machine operates three single units. Various attempts have been made to determine the number of cows necessary to justify the use of this machine. This, however, does not work out con- sistently because of the human factor. Milkers have been installed for as few as ten cows, and with the new small size, portable type of machines now avail- able this may be more generally practical. There is no standard power requirement for milking machines. Each make varies from another. Unless definite information is at hand, milkers should be over-powered to be on the safe side. Two horse-power is the average required on the four farms. In the case of Farm No. 3 a 2 h. p. motor operates, through belts, pulleys and a line shaft, the milking machine, milk cooling pump and cream separator. It will be noticed that the power consumption on this place exceeds that, of farms milking many more cows, which is a clear-cut example of the loss of power in a line shaft. The operating cost is thus increased 60 to 70 percent. TABLE 18. Milking Machine Records on Experimental Farms Farm Number of Cows 30 Day Periods Approximately Kilowatt Hours Extent of Record Number Minimum Maximum Average 1 2 3 4 36 36 27 19 55 86 98 48 145 139 160 65 65.1 111 134 56.5 January to December '26 August '25 to December '26 July '25 to December '26 January to December '26 Average 30 71.7 127 91.5 Separators. New England is a whole milk producing section, and the use of current for separators has dwindled to practically nothing. The four dairy farms are equipped with them, but the records show that the current consump- tion for months at a time stands at zero. They are used only very occasionally. Milk Cooling with Water. Several methods are advocated for removing the animal heat from milk immediately after milking, i.e. reducing the heat from body temperature to about 50° F. Up to the present time but one of these methods has been experimented with, namely that of circulating cold well-water through specially designed cooling cones over which the milk flows in a thin sheet, This is a well known and established practice among dairymen, and undoubtedly economical, if plenty of cold water is available. The % h. p. motor which operates the circulating pump consvimes 10 kwh. as a maximum in July and August and reaches a minimum in February of 4 kwh. The average for the year is 7.8 kwh. Three hundred quarts of milk are cooled daily. Bottle Washing Brush. A 1-6 h. p. motor is used to operate a bottle brush which washes 300 bottles a day. Many farmers who operate steam turbine brushes which require 25 to 50 pounds steam pressure find that the cost of March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 41 fuel and labor for the boiler is quite high. If steam and hot water are used for washing and sterilizing, the change to an electric driven brush does not eliminate the boiler, though it will make it unnecessary to carry more than 10 or 15 pounds pressure, which will reduce the fuel cost considerably. It is also a step toward the elimination of the boiler method. 2.2 kwh. is regularly used each month for this operation. Dairy Cooling Rooms. Like the household refrigerator the dairy cooling room, chilled by electric refrigeration machines, has been pronounced prac- tical and successful by the three dairymen who are using them. The plan used in the experiment was intended primarily for retail dairymen who handle bottled milk, but has since been tried by several farmers handling milk in cans. Tank type coolers have been developed bj' other experiments for handling wholesale milk or milk in cans. The mechanical equipment for these rooms consists of a twin cylinder, air- cooled compressor driven by a 54 or 1-3 h. p. motor connected by pipe lines and suitable valves with a system of coils immersed in a brine tank located in- side the cooling room. The units used have been found particularly effioient and ruggedly constructed as is evident from a comparison of their size and the size of room which they are chilling. One of these machines has been oper- ating for three years, and the other two for one year. Farm No. 1. This room measures I'-xT ft. x (5 ft. high. The walls and ceiling have two air spaces, 3" of cork insulation, and V cement lining. Dur- ing the past season an uninsulated, concrete floor was used. The room, con- verted from an ice cooler, is in the basement and stores 300 quarts of milk daily. Farm No. 2. This cooler measures about 4!4\5,-_. ft. x QVj ft. high, and was converted from an ice cooled storage by the addition of cork insulation vary- ing in thickness from 1 to 3 inches. Due to irregular construction, a uniform thickness could not be applied. This room is exposed to the sun's heat for about, four hours daily on two sides, and is on the same Level as the barn floor. Three hundred quarts of milk are stored daily. TABLE 19. Dairy Cooling Room Records on Experimental Farms Farm Quarts Stored 30 D.u Periods Approximately Kn.nu vi r limns Extern* nf Record Number .Minimum Maximum \\rf.iy, 8 Months 1 2 4 300 300 300 0 0 0 226 164 175 96.5 112 I 18 \pril to December '26 August '25 to December 'L'ti April to December '26 Average 300 0 188 119 Farm No. 4. This is a newly constructed room, containing 4" of cork insula- tion in all walls, ceiling and floor, and fitted with a standard refrigerator door. The dimensions are b% ft. square x 61/- ft. high. A W cement lining makes it possible to sluice the room down with water in cleaning. It is on the ground floor and protected on all sides from excessive changes in temperature. A small section of the space is used by the housewife in place of a household refrigerator. For this reason the room is somewhat larger than would ordinar- ily be necessary. Three hundred quarts of milk are stored daily. Records are given in Table 19. Proper construction, using cork insulation, is essential, and location of the room in a cool, dry place will reduce operating costs. A well constructed room will provide safe storage for milk in winter by keeping out the cold as well as in summer by keeping in the cold. Operating costs are found to compare very favorably with the older method. The maximum shown in the table occurs in August and September. During (lie cold months the machines are not used. 42 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S Electric Fan in the Dairy Room. An ordinary cooling fan has been used to advantage on one farm to keep away flies in the process of bottling and also to insure an abundance of fresh air. The fan is located so that the air draft is directed into the reservoir which holds the milk. Hay Hoisting. Two tests of hay hoist equipment were made during the summer. The equipment used in both cases was identical, being a double-drum hoist, operating a lift and return rope, respectively. A 5 h. p. portable motor was used as power. The results obtained on Farm No. 1 were not satisfactory, due to the fact that the equipment was not adapted to the local conditions. On Farm No. 6 it was found that the motor, hoist, fork and carrier were all within easy sight of the operator, making it possible to operate the hoist from the load by means of ropes. This arrangement reduced the man labor and power to a minimum, and quite successful operation was obtained. Fifty tons (estimated) of hay, oats and millet were unloaded by this method during the 1926 season. No other method was used. The time required to unload varied from 20 to 35 minutes. Three men and a 2-horse team were used. A test made on Japanese millet, to obtain a high demand and current con- sumption, showed that 1 kwh. was required per load, or .66 kwh. per ton, (estimated). This millet, having been frosted, could not be thoroughly cured and was, therefore, very rank and heavy. The maximum demand indicated that 3 h. p. should be sufficient for these conditions. The type of hoist used should be modified and altered somewhat in design to be entirely satisfactory Silo Filling. A considerable number of attempts have been made in New England during the past few j'ears to operate ensilage cutters with electric motors, and the interest in this power for the work continues. A test made on one of the dairy farms in the fall of 1926, using a 7xk H. P. motor, 11-inch cutter and elevating 36 M> ft., failed to give results satisfactory to the farmer. The equipment was overhauled before the test, but no attempt was made to make local circumstances better than fair average field conditions. A survey was made of ten practical applications in five states where motors from 5 to 20 H. P. were used for this work. Most of the operators were inter- viewed personally. Where conditions were representative of the average farm. 10 H. P. was the minimum that could be depended on to give satisfaction. This does not mean that this is the final conclusion for ensilage cutting with motors; for a method developed at the University of Wisconsin holds promise of permitting the use of considerably less power, but until this method is known and accepted as practical and better than the present practice, it seems best to recommend, in a general way, not less than 10 H. P. in cases where this type of power is considered. A test of the new method is planned in the coming season. POULTRY EQUIPMENT Electric Incubators. Two tests were conducted at the University poultry plant during April and May, 1926. A 360-egg incubator, 8 years old but in fairly good condition, was used. This was converted from hot air to electric heat by installing a heating unit and thermostat. Only one of the two trays in the machine was used. In one test, out of 160 eggs set, a 79.3% hatch or 127 chicks was obtained. Sixty-one kilowatt hours of current were used. The current was cut off several times, 3% hours being the longest interruption. In the other test from 146 eggs set, 132 chicks, or a 90.4% hatch, was secured. Fifty-eight kilowatt hours of current were used. No current interruptions oc- curred. The quality and vitality of chicks appeared to be excellent and above the average for chicks from the same hens hatched by other means, according to experienced observers. Successful operation of electric incubators is reported by many users, and several different types of equipment are now available which have not been tested. In well insulated machines the current may be cut off for several hours with- out material damage. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 43 It appears to be possible to obtain a better percent of hatch and quality of chick from some electric incubators. Further experimental work is desirable. Electric Brooders. Brooding chicks by electricity, on the basis of the usual methods common to poultrymen in this section, has not been found practical up to this time. The cold temperatures prevailing in New England during the brooding season make it impossible for an electric brooder, operating in an un- heated brooder house, to give sufficient protection to young chicks. The brooding of chicks in buildings warmed by a central heating plant, how- ever, is rapidly gaining favor among poultrymen, and under such conditions successful operation of electric brooders can be safely predicted. Several reports have appeared to the effect that the New Hampshire project ''has been entirely successful in brooding by electricity." This has arisen from a lack of distinction bet ween preliminary tests of some of the elements of brooders and the brooding of chickens considered as a complete problem. No satisfactory solution of the whole problem has been obtained and it is recommended for the present that electric brooders, if used at all in this climate, be operated only in well heated rooms. Considerable further research in this held is believed desirable. Grain and Feed Mixer. Construction of a grain and feed mixer of 1500 pounds capacity which will successfully mix any kind of cracked grain or mash feeds, has recently been completed m cooperation with a manufacturer of grain mixing machinery. Any number of ingredients can he placed in the machine, and the product delivered to nearby storage bins. The equipment will also thoroughly mix cod liver oil or molasses with mash feeds without lumping. One horsepower will probably be sufficient to operate it. Operating costs are not at present available, but these ate expected to be very reasonable This equipment, which should be equally practical for dairy farms, will per- mit farmers to buy purer grain ingredients and mix rations of higher feeding value at less total cost under present grain buying conditions. Many farmers have been interested in this plan but have not adopted the practice because of the lack of a suitable, time-savinii mixing device. Ultra-Violet Light. To obtain the comparative value of cod liver oil and ultra-violet light, four test pens of baby chicks are being used. Each pen con- tains about 600 chicks, is 14 ft. x 20 ft. giving 66 sq. ins. or .46 sq. ft. per chick, is well lighted through window glass, and heated by a coal brooder. The chicks are on wood floors. One pen is used as a check without cod liver oil or ultra- violet light; in another, cod liver oil alone is used; in another both cod liver oil and ultra-violet light; while the last pen lias ultra-violet light alone. The test will be run several tnu<- or until definite results are obtained. The lamp which consumes .0 kw. per hour is 4'j ft. from the floor and is left on for 45 minutes each day. Tests are also planned on the effect of exposing feed to ultra-violet light, on its usefulness in the prevention of disease, and on its effect when used on lay- ing hens, on the hatchability of eggs and the vigor of the chicks. Poultry Lighting. Using electric lights in pens of laying hens to prolong the daylight conditions one hour morning and night is generally accepted as a practical and profitable process among poultry men in New England. The pic- turesque sight of lighted poultry houses at dusk is not uncommon. The current consumption will vary with the number of lamps used and methods employed. Farm No. 6 used very little poultry lighting during the two years due to cer- tain unusual conditions. Farm No. 7, however, showed a more normal use of these lights, the current consumption for which started at zero in late October and reached a maximum of 157 in January. Oats Sprouter. A year around operation on many poultry farms is the ger- mination of oats to supply green feed to the young stock. A roughly built sprouter, not insulated, has been in operation in a cool base- ment of the University poultry plant during the past year. The inside dimen- sions are 32" deep, 54" wide and 72" high. Twenty pans 23" square and 2" deep, arranged in two vertical tiers, hold 20 lbs. of moist oats (10 lbs. dry, soaked 24 hrs.) each, and produce 24 to 28 quarts of germinated oats. Two 220-watt electric space heaters produced sufficient heat for the mildly cool weather of fall and spiring but not enough for winter operation. It is 44 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 estimated that about 880 watts will be necessary for the coldest weather. Using 440 watts the current consumption amounts to 5.28 kwhs. per day or 158.4 per month. These values would be doubled with heaters totaling 880 watts. The operating characteristics were excellent. OPPORTUNITIES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH The opportunities for further research, especially in the field of farmstead operations, seem at times to be almost unlimited. Some farmers are doing experimental work of their own in the uses of electricity. Some of the problems that have been suggested and appear to offer possibil- ities of successful applications of electricity are given below. In addition, there is l lie further development of some of the equipment already mentioned and the maintaining of experiments already under way. Fruit Equipment. .4 motor-driven cider press, suitable for use in disposing of culls and poor grade fruit in the form of cider or vinegar, will be tested during the next season. Spraying or dusting machinery is now powered by gas engines, and an op- portunity exists for using electric motors, if a practical method of supplying current can be developed. A new method, using a stationary spray plant, as developed by the Washington project, is reported to have met with considerable approval. Insect Trapping. The fact that moths and. insects will gather around a light has suggested to one of our fruit farmers that injurious pests could be trapped in pans of oil suspended under lights placed at intervals in the orchard. The results obtained from first trials of this system on tomatoes in the Virginia project indicate possibilities. This and work on spraying and dusting equip- ment could be combined as far as the field wiring is concerned. Dairy Equipment. Stock Clippers. Dairymen have learned that clean milk is much more easily produced when the flanks and udders of cows are kept clean. Keeping the hair on these parts clipped short is desirable, and requests for practical, inex- pensive clippers have been received. Tests are planned using modified barber clippers, standard stock clippers and hand-operated clippers converted to motor drive. Milk Cooling. Several methods of removing body heat from milk are pos- sible besides that of using cold well or spring water. Various ways of using electric refrigeration equipment offer promising possibilities, and many inquiries indicate considerable interest. Sli rilized utensils are essential to the production of high grade, clean milk. Methods now used are not always adequate to cope with the situation. Elec- tric equipment which can probably be adapted to this work has been located. This is a mid-day operation with dairy farms, and occurs every day of the year. Sterilization of Milk. Pasteurized milk is sometimes said to be lacking in natural quality or taste, but the ever increasing strictness of regulations gov- erning the milk produced for market raises the problem of how else milk may be sterilized. Several possible methods have been suggested for doing this electrically. Cold Storage for Wholesale Milk. Wholesale milk is usually handled in 40 quart cans, and smaller cold storage rooms of a somewhat different type than the cooling rooms already described may be used. Dry storage is also desirable and a plan is suggested for using the electric refrigeration machine for this purpose. Fertilizer Mixing. Home-mixed commercial fertilizers are often higher in plant food value and cost less than when purchased ready mixed. Developing a convenient method for this operation has been suggested. Paint spray equipment may have several uses about a farm of any type. The painting of farm buildings alone is an item of considerable expense, mostly labor, and there are several other uses to which this equipment could be put. Tests on the use of this equipment are planned. March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 45 Poultry Equipment. Flat, pancake-type poultry fountain heaters for keeping water from freezing in poultry buildings have been given preliminary tests which indicate that they are feasible but details on their capacity and cost of operation are not yet available. Poultry Pen Cleaning Equipment . Certain poultry diseases, which have re- cently developed, require the cleaning of houses or pens at very frequent inter- vals as a control. To do this once every three days entails a very considerable cost for labor. A plan for doing mosl of this work with electricity as power has been developed, and it is planned to test out the equipment on one of the poultry farms. Yard and Building Searchlight. Safeguarding property at night and inspect- ing buildings and grounds for prowlers and other disturbances is thought prac- tical by the use of a searchlight. Such a device is at hand ready to be in- stalled. Brooding and Incubation. It seems of considerable importance that further studies in brooding and incubation equipment should be made. SUMMARY Seven farms in New Hampshire, representing dairy, poultry, fruit and general farms, were selected in the spring of 1925 and equipped with appliances to determine what limits in quantity of electricity can be economically used and to secure data on the efficiency of the different appliances. The farms were chosen as typical of substantial and successful enterprises operated with modern, well balanced methods. Sixty major and 40 minor pieces of electrical equipment are now in use on these farms covering 36 distinct operations, and metered in such a way that detailed records can be secured each month for nearly every appliance. This bulletin presents figures for the period ending December 31. 1926. includ- ing inventories, current consumption and costs for each circuit by farms, and current consumption by appliances. Current consumption on the seven farms averaged 1683 kilowatt hours for the year 1925 and increased to 1253 kilowatt hours in 1926. Heating equipment, such as refrigeration, ranges, ironers, water heaters, etc., produced the greatest effect on the total consumption and developed a peak load in midsummer. Total consumption for the year 1926 was distributed as follows: winter, 23%; spring, 16%; summer, 32%; and fall. 28%. Total consumption by farms for 1926 ranged from 432 kilowatt hours for the fruit farm to 7694 kilowatt hours for one of the dairy farms. The records are still too limited to draw many detailed conclusions, and fur- ther research, particularly with farmstead appliances, is desirable. House lights showed an average monthly consumption of 34.6 kilowatt hours, ranging from 15.2 to 63.3. Water pumps showed an average monthly consumption of 23.7 kilowatt hours, ranging from 3.7 to 39. Kitchen ranges showed an average monthly consumption of 167 kilowatt hours, ranging from 26 to 282. Combination ranges with wood and coal and straight electric ranges are being used. House refrigerators used an average of 35.3 kilowatt hours per month, ranging from 23 to 39.5. Hot water heaters used an average of 1S2 kilowatt hours per month, ranging from 15.2 to 548. They have given a high degree of service, but their cost of operation has been high. Washing machines used an average of 2.6 kilowatt hours per month. Flatirons used an average of 7.3 kilowatt hours per month, and ironing ma- chines 12.7. Barn lights used an average of 7.9 kilowatt hours per month, ranging from 4.3 to 13.9. Milking machines used an average of 91.5 kilowatt hours per month, ranging from 56.5 to 134. Dairy cooling rooms showed an average monthly consumption of 119 kilowatt hours, ranging from 96.5 to 148. 46 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 22S ORGANIZATION OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PROJECT University of New Hampshire Committee J. C. Kendall, Director, New Hampshire Experiment Station. Durham, N. H. L. W. Hitchcock, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Univer- sity of New Hampshire, Durham, N. H. G. W. Case, Dean, College of Technology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, N. H. E. P. Robinson, Count}- Agent Leader, University Extension Service, Durham, N. H. Miss D. D. Williamson, Home Demonstration Leader, Uni- versity Extension Service, Durham, N. H. State Leader and Field Engineer W. T. Ackerman, State Leader of Electrical Project, Exper- iment Station, Durham, N. H. New Hampshire Committee on Relation of Electricity to Agriculture The Advisory Committee for the New Hampshire Project: F. A. Belden, Chairman, Edison Electric Illuminating Co., Boston, Mass. Formerly vice-president Portsmouth Power Co., Portsmouth, N. H. Huntley N. Spaulding, Governor of the State of New Hamp- shire Concord, N. H. J. C. Kendall, Director, New Hampshire Agricultural Experi- ment Station, Durham, N. H. G. M. Putnam, President, New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation, Concord, N. H. J. C. Farmer, Master of the New Hampshire State Grange, Newbury, N. H. E. P. Robinson, State County Agent Leader, University Extension Service, Durham, N. H. Charles W. Barker, Farm Owner and Operator, Exeter, N. H. L. W. Hitchcock, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Uni- versity of New Hampshire, Durham, N. H. Roy D. Hunter, Farm Owner and Operator, W. Claremont, N. H. R. D. Smith, Manager, Keene Gas & Electric Company Keene, N. H. March, 11)27] Electricity on New England Farms 47 NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON THE RELATION OF ELECTRICITY TO AGRICULTURE J. W. CoVERDALE, Chairman G. C. Neff, Secretary-Treasurer E. A. White, Director L. C. Prickett, ^.ssistanl Director American Farm Bureau Federation: National Electric Light Association S. II. Thompson Marshall E. Sampsell M L. Noon G. C. Neff J. C. Brubaker Arthur Huntington J. C. Martin Tin National Grange: K. A. Pauly L. J. Taber C. W. Drake National Association of Farm Equipment Manufacturers: Thko. Brown I >. B. ZlM merman H. C. Beckman Individual Plant Manufacturers: R. C. Cosgrove American Society of Agricultural Engineers: J. B. Davidson United States Department of Agriculture: S. H. McCrort United States Department of Commerce: Marshall T. Jones United States Department of Interior: C. A. Bissell American Home Economics Association Miss Eloise Davison General Federation of Women's Clubs Mrs. John D. Sherman ' ^„..a~~s>*^* *-.•*. ■