20 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



entire year through the association, an annual Christmas market 

 is held every year. The gross sales for the three days' market 

 this year totaled §7,800, showing a notable increase over the 

 previous year's business. 



Source of Supply of Massachusetts Food Products. 



It is probably not an exaggeration to state that Massachu- 

 setts raises less than one-sixth of what it consumes, and it is 

 no new or startling statement to say that the food on our din- 

 ner table comes from every corner of the world. Apples, onions 

 tobacco and cranberries are the only crops which supply our 

 demand. 



The origin and period of supply of foodstuffs competing with 

 Massachusetts-grown products have a very great bearing on 

 our local farm business, in that they either function as a 

 steadier of supply or as competitors with our local products. 

 These facts, together with planting and progress reports, are 

 important to the Massachusetts farmer and in a larger sense 

 to middlemen and consumers as well. 



Potatoes from Maine and Virginia; cabbage, asparagus, 

 lettuce from California and Florida; tomatoes from New 

 Jersey and Mississippi; Egyptian onions from Texas; peaches 

 from Georgia and California; strawberries from Florida and 

 North Carolina; apples from Washington; butter from Den- 

 mark, Argentina and Canada; meats from New Zealand; and 

 eggs from China, indicate the wide scope of our sources of 

 supply. 



Market Distribution. 

 As Massachusetts ranks second in density of population, it 

 is quite natural that our cities, which are the receivers of goods 

 in car and train load quantities, have as one of their important 

 functions the distribution of food. Diversified as the source 

 of supply is, our area of distribution covers nearly as far- 

 reaching a territory. New England and northern New York 

 receive the bulk of food sent out from our larger distribution 

 centers, — Boston, Worcester and Springfield. Specialties in 

 the beef and grocery trade, however, reach a much larger 

 territory, including Canadian, middle western, southern and 



