THE CRANBERRY INDUSTRY 



25 



percent of the crop, it is clear that its membership was largely made up of the 

 larger growers. 



The upper section of Figure 9 shows the monthly movement to market of 

 Massachusetts cranberries sold through the New England Cranberry Sales 

 Company and through other agencies. The percentage summations were made 

 from the reports of the individual growers as to their usual practice in the 

 years before the survey in 1934. The percentages for the New England Cran- 

 berry Sales Company are averages for the years 1931-1933, inclusive. They 

 show that the Sales Company made relatively heavier shipments in September, 

 December, and January than the other selling agencies, but that other ship- 

 pers usually marketed much more rapidly in October and November than did 

 the Sales Company. The shipments by both the Sales Company and others 

 were greatest in October and November, reaching their maximum in November. 



The lower part of Figure 9 shows the percentages of the crop shipped by the 

 Sales Company and by other shippers up to the end of each month in the 

 marketing season. At the end of November, the independent shippers had 

 shipped 86 percent of their berries, while the Sales Company had forwarded 

 only about 67 percent of their total. 



Table 13. — Number op Cranberry Growers Reporting Sales of 

 1933 Crop, by Marketing Agencies 



New England Local Boston Merchants 



Cranberry Independent Commission in other Duplicate No 



Sales Co. Agents Merchants Cities Report- 



County 



Barnstable 75 



Bristol 8 



Dukes 



Essex 



Middlesex 



Nantucket 



Norfolk 2 



Plymouth 208 



Worcester 



In more than one 



county 7 



84 

 9 



14 

 

 3 

 2 

 



65 

 1 



STATE TOTAL 300 



537 



385 



179 



CRANBERRY PRICES 



The factors affecting cranberry prices are of interest to all growers and 

 handlers of this crop. Figure 10 compares the season average prices received 

 by growers for the Massachusetts crop from 1901 to 1935 with cranberry pro- 

 duction totals for the country as a whole and the level of business activity 

 during the fall months (September to December, inclusive), when the bulk of 

 the crop is marketed. With only five exceptions during this period, a larger 

 crop of berries compared with that of the preceding year has been marketed 

 at a lower price and a smaller crop at a higher price. In connection with most 

 of the exceptions, it appears that a rise or fall in business activity has helped 

 overcome the usual effect of production on prices. While it is evident that the 

 level of business activity may affect the price at which the cranberry crop 



