6.6 percent and 9.7 percent in a warm room, compared to 3.8 percent and 

 5.2 percent in the refrigerator. 



Sale of Strawberries Under Cellophane 



Strawberries were sold in a display containing both cellophaned and 

 uncellophaned fruit in a supermarket in July, 1948. Reactions of consumers 

 to the sale of strawberries under cellophane were not conclusive. First re- 

 actions indicated skepticism on the part of the consumer. A large percentage 

 of consumers examined the berries in a box and often shook them in an 

 attempt to see what was underneath. Since they could not do this when cello- 

 phaned, some seemed to wonder whether the purpose was to prevent exami- 

 nation. 



Uncellophaned berries outsold cellophaned berries about 7 to 1. The 

 comparison was not entirely accurate since there were usually more uncello- 

 phaned berries in the display than cellophaned. However, there was always 

 a sufficient number of good cellophaned berries to readily facilitate selection 

 of either. 



Quality of Berries Sold in Retail Stores 



Strawberries are a highly perishable product and daily purchase and 

 sale is advisable wherever possible. Moving left-over berries from a warm 

 storeroom into refrigeration and back out again is not a satisfactory solu- 

 tion. If the berries had been picked the first day and were not bruised, a 

 fairly good product should be available the second day. But in many cases, 

 berries had been held overnight before being brought into the store and they 

 were often bruised. So by the third day considerable spoilage often occurred. 

 Some stores with refrigeration space placed the berries there on arrival 

 and drew from the refrigerator as needed. This works out quite well, especial- 

 ly if received the day picked. 



Prices of Strawberries 



Price data on strawberries were obtained from these sources: (a) direct 

 from producers; (b) direct from retail stores; (c) wholesale and jobbing 

 quotations published by New Hampshire Weekly Market Bulletin, Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Concord, N. H.; (d) U. S. Census data; (e) Farmers 

 Produce Market Reports, Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, Boston, 

 Mass.; (f) Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Daily Fruit and Vegetable 

 Report, Boston, Mass.; and (g) Producers Price Current, New York City. 



Prices for strawberries are reported by the New Hampshire Weekly 

 Market Bulletin each week of the season. In the six years, 1946-1951 in- 

 clusive, average wholesale prices (simple averages) ranged from 25 cents 

 per quart in 1950 to 46 cents in 1946. Averages of jobbing prices ranged 

 from 31 cents in 1950 to 49 cents per quart in 1946. 



Prices in New Hampshire Retail Stores, 1950 



The County Extension Agents obtained strawberry prices in towns in 

 the various counties in 1950. These were obtained from 34 stores in 13 

 towns and cities. The lowest price reported was 25 cents per quart, the 

 highest 59 cents. The daily prices ranged from 37 cents to 47 cents per quart 



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