18 P.D. 123. 



Roadside Markets. 



The roadside stand occupies an important place in the marketing of farm 

 products on many of the well-traversed automobile roads of Massachusetts. For 

 several years there has been a desire to sell farm products direct from farm to 

 consumer, eliminating the large tolls of the middleman. The various other 

 schemes tried, such as marketing by means of the parcel post, have not met with 

 the same success as the roadside stand. 



The unreliable roadside market, however, has a fight on its hands. Autoists 

 are tired of being the victims of overcharging. There is no question but 

 that popular demand Avill perpetuate roadside selling only as long as the 

 fanner gives good quality and asks a price less than the consumer must pay 

 for the same products at his local grocer. Time, alone, Avill tell the future of 

 the ventures of roadside selling. At present there seems to be nothing standing 

 in the way of their increased success, provided they are properly managed. 



Information on Marketing. 



There is a lack of confidence in our New England agriculture. New Eng- 

 land needs to organize and to standardize and advertise her farm products. An 

 increase of only 30 per cent in the use of apples in the United States would 

 necessitate producing 25,000,000 more bushels of apples a year. 



National Apple Week was celebrated in Massachusetts on a more elaborate 

 scale than previously attempted. The city Chambers of Commerce cooperated 

 with the State Division of Markets and the International Apple Shippers As- 

 sociation in bringing to the attention of the consumer the virtues of the humble 

 apple. 



The distribution of apples at the theatres on HalloAv'en eve was an innovation 

 that proved to be successful far beyond expectation. Special apple exhibits 

 in front windows and on counters of hundreds of stores and restaurants through- 

 out the State, together with the novel apple publicity given at the assembly 

 luncheon and the annual dinner of the Boston Chamber of Commerce was 

 a decided contribution in advancing the standards of apple growing and grad- 

 ing, and encouraging greater use of the Massachusetts fruit. 



The Division of Markets aims to assist individuals, and to cooperate with 

 organizations wherever possible, in the promotion of more ef&cient marketing 

 of farm products. 



Weekly and monthly articles covering the subject of marketing problems 

 and conditions are published in newspapers and magazines reaching 48,000 

 subscribers. Two hundred reprints are sent weekly to agricultural leaders and 

 educators of the State, as well as to the County Agents throughout New England. 



The exhibit work conducted at the Eastern States Exposition, Springfield, 

 Mass. told the story of efficient marketing of apples from the packing-shed 

 through the cold-storage plant, the commission-house to the retail store where 

 the retailer, unlike the pushcart vendor, must be capable of doing more than 

 selling food products across the counter and receiving cash in payment. He 

 must be capable of increasing trade and competing with his next-door neighbor. 



The outstanding feature of the model retail store was the method of increas- 

 ing sales of produce in season. A corner of the store was devoted to a demon- 

 stration of apple jelly making by the Department of Horticultural Manufactures 

 of the Massachusetts Agricultural College to increase apple sales. Through 

 the courtesy of Mr. J. C. Sowden of the Dayton Display Fixture Co., Boston, 

 practical and sanitary fixtures laden with food products of finest quality were 

 on display within the store. 



Cooperative Relations. 



The Division of Markets has continued to maintain cooperative relations with 

 other agencies, local, state and national, which are doing work along marketing 

 lines. Among these are the United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau 

 of Agricultural Economics, the Massachusetts Agricultural College, the Massa- 

 chusetts Department of Health, the Boston Market Gardeners' Association, the 



