No. 123.] DIVISION OF MARKETS. 59 



investigation were to determine the range of fixed and variable 

 costs entering into grading, buying, loading and shipping or 

 storing and shipping, freight and drayage charges, wholesale, 

 jobbing and retail margins, together with the determination 

 of wastes in the marketing process, and the specific fixed and 

 variable costs entering into the storage of onions either in 

 the valley or in consuming centers. In conjunction with 

 this, a long-time analysis of the financial risks involved in the 

 onion-storage business is being made. Preliminary studies for 

 cranberries have also been made. 



A project involving the costs entering into marketing of the 

 Massachusetts Baldwin apple crop has for its objects and line 

 of procedure practically the same details as enumerated above 

 in the case of the onion crop. Recommendations leading to 

 improvements in the handling of the Massachusetts Baldwin 

 apple crop, deduced from a study of crop-handling methods in 

 our Commonwealth, may be of assistance to our farmers, as 

 well as the information regarding normal margins received by 

 the various handlers connected with the marketing of this crop. 



The third project has to do with the investigation of costs 

 entering into the marketing of Maine potatoes in Massachusetts. 

 The objects of this investigation, while outlined roughly in the 

 same manner as the apple and onion investigations, also include 

 the determination of fixed and variable costs entering into the 

 storage of potatoes in consuming centers, together with a long- 

 time analysis of financial results involved in the potato-han- 

 dling business. 



Information regarding the normal margins received by those 

 connected with the marketing of this commodity, together with 

 data pertaining to the necessary costs entering into the market- 

 ing of Maine potatoes, is expected as the result of this work. 

 Recommendations for improvement in the handling of Maine 

 potatoes in Massachusetts may also be deduced from a study 

 of handling methods. 



The fourth division of work comprises the development of a 

 program of study of Boston's perishable produce market, the 

 object of which is to determine what the present situation is, 

 what the problems are, what has been done in the past, and 

 what should be done in the future regarding the marketing 



