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cooperative power plant in the world.
Allotments for these generating plants
totaled $1,782,500 on June 30, 1940.
On the same date allotments for con-
struction of more than 10,000 miles of
lines to make power available to
33,023 members, totaled $11,244,800.
  Wiring and plumbing loans to mem-
bers comprised $320,500 of the $13,-
347,800 total allotted to Wisconsin up
to June 30, 1940. Members may bor-
row from their cooperative what they
need to wire their homes or install
plumbing. They make repayments
monthly, quarterly, or semiannually.
But many pay cash.
Farm Homes Wired
  In 8 months, 600 farmers in one
county wired their homes at an average
cost of $200. Few used credit. Everv
electrician and electrical contractor in
the area was busy for months.
  Cooperative generating plants sup-
ply only part of the power needs of
Wisconsin's electrified farms, and a
large part of the power is purchased
wholesale-enough to increase Wis-
consin's annual electrical output mate-
rially. In 1939 the figure reached
approximately 36,000,000 kilowatt-
hours, and the cost to the coopera-
tives amounted to about half a million
dollars.
  A survey taken on Wisconsin R. E.
A.-financed power systems between
January and April 1940, shows how
members are putting their new electric
power to good use. Water pumps were
in use on 20.7 percent of the farms
reporting, 9.4 percent had put in a
shower or tub, more than 15 percent
had an electric cream separator, and
17.9 percent were using electric fences.
The number of electric motors is
good indicator of the extent to whic
electric power is applied to farm taski
The returns show that 3.1 percen
owned motors larger than 1 borst
power, and 29.7 percent owned motor
of 1 horsepower or less. While motor
under 1 horsepower are, of course, to
small to power ensilage cutters, woo
saws, and other heavy farm machinery
they prove their value in the fan
repair shop, on water pumps, milkiq
machines, small feed grinders, and tb
like.
  Much of the heavy burden is bei
lifted from the shoulders of the farn
wife through installation of electri
equipment in the home. Of the farm
reporting, 85.7 percent had electri
irons, 86.8 percent had radios, 24.
percent had purchased hot plates, 18.
percent had refrigerators, 79.2 percen
had washing machines, and 17 percen
were using vacuum cleaners.
  Wide use of early-morning and all
night lights to raise poultry productior
and maintain it throughout the wintr
is shown by the survey. More thu
one-fourth of all farms reporting wen
using electric lights in their laiing
houses.
Frozen-Food Lockers
a New Co-op Service
  Since its inception during 1935 the
frozen-food locker industry in Wiscon
sin has expanded at a rapid rate. A
survey conducted jointly by the Farm
Credit Administration and the WVis.
consin College of Agriculture during
the early part of 1940 indicates lb-i
there were 250 locker plants in opera-
tion, one-fifth of which were o% ned
and operated by cooperatives.
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