THE MARKET FOR MASSACHUSETTS APPLES 3 



While the self-service stores may be either chain or individual stores, 

 because of their peculiar character they are classed separately. The few 

 visited in connection with this study were all reported as individual stores. 



Classified on the basis of type of trade — cheap, medium and exclusive 

 — 67 of the stores are ranked as cheap, 204 as medium and 59 as exclusive. 

 Obviously there is considerable overlapping, many stores catering to more 

 than one grade of custom. 



The table below shows the exact classification of the 266 stores for 

 which estimates were given. 



Table 2. — Stores Reporting Grades of Trade 



Cheap - '.. 35 



Cheap and Medium 10 



Medium 162 



Medium and Exclusive 11 



Exclusive 26 



Cheap and Exclusive 1 



All Grades 21 



The consumer schedules, about 500 in number, were obtained from all 

 classes insofar as possible\ According to the occupations of the head of the 

 family, those reporting were classified into labor, business, professional, agri- 

 cultural, public service and housekeeping groups. The labor class comprised 

 47 per cent of all those reporting and incl_uded factory employes, mechanics, 

 and general laborers. The business group was 24 per cent of the total num- 

 ber; professional people made up 17 per cent. Those engaged in some form 

 of agricultural work were 6 per cent of the whole number. The remainder 

 is evenly divided between public servants and housekeepers, themselves the 

 heads of their households. 



No general diiferences in type of demand are apparent between classes 

 as such. Differences between localities and differences between nationalities 

 are more or less apparent. 



The author wishes here to acknowledge her indebtedness to the manj' 

 informants who have given so generously of time and thought to the problems 

 herein presented. Without their aid this study would have been impossible. 



The Division of Markets of the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture 

 cooperated in the collection of information, loaning the assistance of three 

 agents of the bureau for the purpose. The Federal Bureau of Agricultural 

 Economics, through its Boston oflice, also contributed certain expenses inci- 

 dental to this study. 



Acknowledgment is made of the assistance of Mr. Jesse W. Tapp, of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture and the New England Research 

 Council, who placed at the disposal of the author a large amount of data on 

 the prices of apples, and certain charts on that subject presented herewith. 



^ While the numbers of retailers and of consumers are comparatively small, much 

 thought was given to the problem of selection and it is believed that the schedules 

 obtained from each group are as thoroughly representative as possible. 



