14 P.D. 123 



sumers will know the best quality of Massachusetts fruit and vegetables 

 by distinctive marks or brands. 



The enforcement of the Apple Grading Law has enabled the Massa- 

 chusetts farmer to compete successfully with western fruit. The dealer 

 or consumer who buys a box of locally grown apples is assured that they 

 will be of the quality stated and that the apples in the bottom of the 

 box will be as good as those on top. Because of this fact the market 

 is taking larger quantities of Massachusetts apples each year and less 

 of western apples. 



There has been considerable interest this fall in the roadside market 

 business. The roadside market offers the farmer an opportunity to sell 

 directly to consumers. Many dealers have taken advantage of this situ- 

 ation and have built stands in the country and are selling farm products 

 in competition with the farmers. The fruits and vegetables sold at 

 these dealers' and peddlers' stands are often old and of poor quality. 

 On Sundays many city dealers sell on the roadside the week's surplus of 

 fruits and vegetables from the city store. Consumers who have bought 

 farm produce of poor quality at these stands and have paid high prices 

 often are discouraged from buying at roadside stands. The Massachu- 

 setts Roadside Stand Association is attempting to get members all over 

 the state. Only farmers are eligible for membership in the association, 

 and the association sign, an ear of corn, identifies the market as a gen- 

 uine farmer's market. The association has adopted certain rules and 

 regulations for the conduct of the roadside business. If the plan works 

 well it will provide a means of identifying to consumers stands which 

 sell their own farm products and which are honest and fair in their deal- 

 ings with the public. 



A number of research studies in marketing are being made. These 

 are centered around the problem of discovering market demands and the 

 factors affecting market prices. The goal is a better adjustment of pro- 

 duction to demand both as to quantity and as to type and grade. 



Following are brief statements of the projects carried on by the Divi- 

 sion of Markets during 1926. 



Wholesale Market News 



Farmers' Produce Market Report. Our daily market news service, 

 covering the farmers' produce markets in three of our principal cities, — 

 Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, — has been maintained throughout 

 the year. Regular weekly letters outlining market news of particular 

 interest during the week have also been issued regularly from Spring- 

 field and Worcester as heretofore. 



The inauguration of a radio broadcast service of the Boston report 

 during the past year has increased the scope of the distribution of our 

 market news. The Boston report is also distributed by mail and through 

 the Associated Press. 



A continuance of pleasant co-operative relations with the daily press 

 in Worcester and Springfield has enabled us to maintain the very satis- 

 factory distribution of market news from those cities through the news- 

 papers. The Springfield reports are also distributed by mail. The 

 Worcester office maintains both a mail and radio service. 



Apple Market Reports. The Special Apple Market Report has been 

 continued on its regular weekly and semi-weekly schedule during the 

 season from August 1 to April 1. In response to requests as outlined in 

 the Ten Year Program of the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Association, 

 this Division is attempting, as time and personnel permits, to enlarge the 

 scope of this report. In accordance with this policy a weekly report from 

 Providence, Rhode Island, has been added to our regular service from 

 Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. A considerable quantity of Massa- 

 chusetts apples is sold on the Providence market. 



There is a very apparent need for increased attention to the reporting 



