From about 20 acres up, potatoes take on the character of a major, 

 specialized enterprise. They may be associated with other enterprises, farm 

 or nonfarm, but they tend to become a major companion enterprise, if not 

 a dominant one, in relation to the others. Of the 20-to-39-acre group, about 

 equal numbers reported dairy, vegetable, and off-farm enterprises. From 40 

 acres up, off-farm and no other occupation occurred more frequently. As a 

 group, the 20-acres-and-over growers, and especially those with 40 acres and 

 over, are about as fully mechanized as soil and field conditions and ingenuity 

 of machinery makes and farmers permit. Productionwise they seem estab- 

 lished to meet competition from other areas. 



This study has in process two further steps designed to aid growers to 

 make more detailed adjustments. The first is a presentation of the different 

 equipment, crews, and performance-rates by individual operations as ob- 

 served on several farms. The second is a calculation of least-cost machinery 

 and labor combinations for different acreages and of high-profit acreages 

 for growers with different amounts of time available for potatoes. 



W. K. BURKETT 



Consumer Habits of Purchasing, Using, and Storing Apples. 



Approximately 180 consumers were contacted in Manchester and Hamp- 

 ton for information concerning purchase and use of apples. In Manchester 

 about 95 percent of those contacted were buying principally from retail 

 stores. Thirty-five percent held apples in family refrigerators, 20 percent in 

 cellars. About 80 percent of the families used apples during a 30-day period 

 (February-March 1952). Apples were used in Manchester as follows: 



96% of the consumers used 71.0% of the apples for dessert 

 57% of the consumers used 16.0% of the apples for pies 

 37% of the consumers used 7.5% of the apples for sauce 

 30% of the consumers used 5.5% of the apples for baking 



In Hampton, the Mcintosh, Cortland, Baldwin, Macoun, and Delicious 

 were given preference in the order named. 



The average price paid for Mcintosh in Manchester was slightly over 

 10 cents per pound. 



Over 80 stores were visited in Manchester. Thirty-seven percent bought 

 their apple supplies principally from wholesalers, 33 percent from growers, 

 22 percent from peddlers, and 8 percent directly from warehouses or storage. 

 The average gross margin taken by retailers on the Mcintosh was about 31 

 percent. 



A refrigerated apple vending machine, which carried four sizes or varie- 

 ties of apples, was tested on the campus. Both 5 cent and 10 cent apples were 

 used. In the period October 27 - December 12, Mcintosh, Macoun, and Cort- 

 land 3-inch apples were available at 10 cents. Of the 1,217 apples sold, 45 

 percent were Mcintosh, 32 percent Macoun, and 23 percent Cortland. A 2^- 

 inch Mcintosh was sold at 5 cents. Three-inch apples at 10 cents sold much 

 better than 2V2-mch apples at 5 cents to University students. 



The vending machine should prove valuable to test consumer reactions. 

 It also makes possible the sale of top-quality apples at attractive prices. 



L. A. Dougherty 



12 



