Two-third? of the eggs aecounted for in the survey were picked up 

 by trucks owned by the marketing firm. Nearly one-half of the eggs 

 were procured either on the home farm or within 30 miles of the firm. 

 Nearly sixty percent were produced within 60 miles of the firms. 



Average sizes of farm pickups varied widely. The largest average 

 farm pickups were found in Maine and the smallest in Vermont. Route 

 distances also varied considerably, ranging from an average round trip 

 of 105 miles in Maine to an average of 27 miles in Vermont. The number 

 of farms per route ranged from 22 in Connecticut to 5 in Vermont. 



More than 50 percent of the eggs sold by the firms went to retail 

 stores within 100 miles of the firm's location. Another 28 percent went 

 to other types of buyers, also within 100 miles of the firm. 



Ninety of the firms carried on delivery operations. The average 

 round trip delivery distance varied from 113 miles in Maine to 27 miles 

 in Vermont. Chain food stores took the largest deliveries per stop with 

 an average of 21 cases, while restaurants took, on the average. 3.5 cases 

 per stop. 



Chain food stores were the largest single class of buyer taking 

 nearly 40 percent of the total volume. Wholesalers were next in impor- 

 tance accounting for 28 percent and independent food stores took an 

 additional 12 percent of total volume. 



All eggs sold directly to consumers on retail routes were graded 

 and cartoned. However, only 15 percent of eggs sold to wholesalers were 

 cartoned by the seller. Ninety-six percent of the eggs sold to chain food 

 stores were graded and cartoned while 84 percent of sales to independent 

 food stores were similarly processed. The bulk of purchases by restau- 

 rants, hotels and institutions were graded but not cartoned. 



In the aggregate, 57 percent of the eggs sold by all firms in all 

 states were graded and cartoned. Thirty percent were graded but un- 

 cartoned. The balance were ungraded and sold mostly to wholesalers. 



About one-third of the firms stocked egg cases at the retail store 

 and five out of six placed the eggs in the buyer's cooler. Other services 

 to buyers were mentioned by some firms. 



Most firms avoided credit as much as possible in sales operations. 

 Exceptions were in the case of institutional buyers and hotels. The 

 Boston Herald price quotations were used primarily as the base for 

 selling price, with some other sources mentioned. Some firms gave dis- 

 counts to some buyers. Discounts were available for items such as cash 

 on delivery, volume of order, disposal of surpluses and for special sales. 

 Few written contracts with buyers were reported. About half of the 

 marketing firms stated that they did have verbal agreements with some 

 buyers concerning the terms of sale. Agreements covered items such as 

 price basis, quality, weight and size. Three-fourths of the eggs cartoned 

 were packed under private label for buyers. 



Most of the firms performed some "in-plant" function on the eggs 

 they marketed. In-plant functions included washing, candling, sizing, 

 cartoning, loose packing and breaking. Firms which did not perform any 

 of these functions were truckers, assemblers, and wholesalers who merely 

 transported the eggs or bought eggs already packed in final form. 



