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An Aor) le Marlietin^: Research Pr o ject 



The Department of Agricultural Economics at feGcachiisetts 

 State Colle^^e is conducting a research project regarding certain 

 apple marketing practices \vhich we hope will reveal information 

 that can be used in extension teaching next year. 



A questionnaire wns pre-oared by members of the Department 

 of Agricultural Economics in conference with mem.bers of the Horti- 

 cultural Division of the Massachusetts State College, a. representa- 

 tive from, the Massachusetts State Departm.ent of Agriculture, and 

 a representative of the New York and New England Apple Institute. 

 The questionnaire is now being filled ou.t by county agents, mem- 

 bers of the Department of Agriculture, and members of the Depart- 

 ment of Agricultural Economics. These questionnaires will be 

 sunm.arized by Mr. Philip Shlff, and the study should be comrAete 

 by June I5. 



The questionnaire is designed to get information from 

 retail store operators. It is worded in such a way that, it is 

 hoped, information will be uncovered which will give us a clue to 

 some of the motives beh.ind the merchandizing methods or lack of 

 merchandising methods on the part of retail store operators. For 

 instance, we are attemi-^ting to find out x^hether they prefer packs 

 of uniformly sized aoples, pacKs of standard graded apples (both 

 eating arid cooking) , the typo of container preferred, whether or 

 not campaigns such as "The Mcintosh A^ople Week" were considered 

 successful, vrha.t types of advertising sell the most anples, whether 

 or not consumers ask for aoples by variety or by brand, whether 

 tYiey prefer to sell eating apples by count or not, what the effect 

 would be on demand volum.e and price if all apples were free from 

 damages and bruises, how serious is the condition of anples when 

 they reach the retail stores, what, in the experience of the store 

 operators, is the best selling price for eating and cooking apples, 

 whet determines the retail price that store operators ask for 

 apples, and suggestions as to how local apple growers could help 

 to cell m.ore local apples. 



It is too muc";i to hope that the ansvier to all of the 

 above questions crin be found but those working on the project are 

 optimistic that some good will re-cult from the work, 



G. W. Westcott. 



Why Keep Acc ou nts? 



Farmers are business men and farming is a. comnlex busi- 

 ness. The successful operation of a farm reauires making many 

 decisions and adjustments as to farm organization, farm practice 

 and marketing. 



The first steo in determining what adjustments will make 

 your farm more profitable is for you to determine your financial 

 status. You should know what your assets and liabilities are, and 

 by keeping farm accounts, find whether your business is profitable 

 or unprofitable, and why. With these facts before you, you have 

 a basis for wise and intelligent action. You m.ust plan and make 

 decisions for your farm as a whole. It is the intelligent use of 

 all the factors which you have at your command thnt tends to make 

 a favorable money income. 



In order to make record keeping as easy -^s possible for 

 Massachusetts farjners, the Farm. Ma.nagement Department at the State 



