Information on deliveries to the 183 farms was also tabulated according 

 to the stores from which deliveries originated. These data, presented in 

 Table 13, indicate a range of 3.9 to 74.7 bags per average delivery for the 

 12 stores servicing these 183 customers. These figures are not inclusive of 

 all the business done by the 12 stores, only of that done in the area surveyed. 



Data were tabulated for six retail grain-feed units in Belknap County, 

 including the entire delivery business for these units within and without 

 the county. This information (Table 14) shows considerable variation in 

 the average size of delivery per unit.* 



Table 14. Average Size of Deliveries for Six Belknap County Retail Grain-Feed Units 



Unit 



Percent of 

 Sales Delivered 



Average No. of 

 Stops per Route 



Average No. of 



Bags Delivered 



per Stop 



Range in Average 

 No. of Bags per 

 Stop per Route 



A 

 B 

 C 

 D 

 £ 

 F 



Frequency of Delivery. 



Less frequent delivery has often been suggested as a means of im- 

 proving the efficiency of delivery route operation. It was being utilized to 

 some extent in the areas surveyed. 



Of 183 farms obtaining delivery service in the Gilmanton-Barnstead 

 area, 132 or 72 percent obtained weekly delivery. Thirty-nine or 21 percent 

 obtained delivery every two weeks; two obtained delivery once a month; 

 and the remaining 10 obtained delivery 'occasionally'. However, the farms 

 obtaining delivery service less frequently than once per week included a 

 substantial number of small customers whose needs for a bag or two of 

 grain-feed occurred at the wider intervals. 



The six dealers located in Belknap County delivered 96 percent of 

 their route quantities once per week and the remaining 4 percent once 

 every two weeks. Under the latter category were included deliveries to 

 several large customers as well as all customers obtaining delivery service 

 through carlot distributors receiving shipments every other week. 



Efforts to Improve Farm Receiving and Handling of Grain-Feeds. 



Inquiry was made of 16 retail grain-feed outlets relative to difficulties 

 in handling at the farm, improvements suggested by the dealer, and the 

 percentage* of customers making improvements in recent years. More than 

 half of the outlets indicated considerable difficulties in making farm de- 

 liveries. The principal obstacles at the farm to rapid and efficient delivery 

 were specified as: second and third floor unloading, carrying, dumping 

 bags, old installations and remodeled barns with poor facilities, setting 

 difficulties (snow, mud), need for two men on upstairs deliveries. Some 



* For additional data and analysis relative to this point, see also N. H. Station 

 Bulletin 427. 



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