174 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



in the State of Ohio for the year 1922. These data are now in 

 process of tabulation. 



COSTS OF RETAILING MEAT. 



In cooperation with the bureau of business research of Northwest- 

 ern University a system of accounting was devised for retail ineat 

 stores. This system is now being actively installed in Chicago, 

 Cleveland, and New York City and monthly reports are being re- 

 ceived by the joint office in Chicago from approximately 150 retail 

 meat dealers. It is planned within the next two or three months to 

 issue a report based on reports for six months. 



Questionnaires are being sent to 20,000 retail meat dealers asking 

 them to submit profit and loss accounts for the year ending Decem- 

 ber 21, 1922. These should furnish figures which can be used for 

 comparison with the 1923 data. The work in New York City will 

 be continued on a somewhat less extensive scale until about April, 

 1924, when there will be available a complete year's record, by 

 months, of the operations of this group of dealers. These data will 

 furnish fundamental facts relating to the retailing of meats. 



COSTS OF MARKETING POTATOES OBTAINED. 



Eepresentatives of the division visited the Maine shipping area 

 and collected detailed figures from such organizations as had records 

 suitable for the purpose. In all, dealers were covered who handled 

 about 20 per cent of the Maine crop. Probably the most difficult 

 thing encountered was to secure data on the quantity of potatoes 

 handled and the general economic environment of the organizations. 

 Information secured covers the crop years 1920-21 and 1921-22. 

 The material has been tabulated and a preliminary mimeographed 

 pamphlet of tentative results has been published. The fmal manu- 

 script is being prepared. A similar study has been made covering 

 the costs of marketing Minnesota potatoes. 



MARKETING NORTHWESTERN BOXED APPLES STUDIED. 



Data were collected from some of the largest shipping organiza- 

 tions in the Washington apple area. Attention was given to the 

 outline of costs, to assignment of the reasons for variations in cost, 

 and to securing the background of the picture into which the cost 

 data must fall. Data were secured which will point out interesting 

 and helpful lessons in the marketing of the northwest apple crop, 

 particularly the wisdom of some of the practices of that section 

 with respect to storage at eastern or western points, the penalty 

 incurred for failure to get particular varieties on the market when 

 they are in prime condition, and some of the reasons for failure. 

 This material will be prepared for publication prompth^ 



COSTS OF MARKETING KANSAS WHEAT. 



Examination was made of the records of 66 elevators in north- 

 central Kansas in cooperation with the Kansas State College. 

 Every effort was made to secure such complete information that it 

 will be possible to point out some of the principles on which, the 

 efficiency of elevator operation is based and to develop the informa- 



