THE MARKET FOR MASSACHUSETTS APPLES 7 



volumes arriving month!}- from Massachusetts, other New England States, 

 New York and Washington. New England apples comprised 39 per cent 

 of total receipts during the first two seasons, but 57 per cent of the total 

 during the last two seasons. 



Apples from all producing sections are received in larger or smaller 

 quantities on most of the markets of the state. In some of the smaller 

 cities, such as Greenfield, Westfield, Fitchburg, Newburyport, Athol, 

 Gardner, etc., local apples are largely used as long as the supply lasts. 

 Westfield and Greenfield are almost wholly supplied by local apples. Pitts- 

 field, in the early part of the season, uses only apples grown nearby, but 

 most of these are brought over from New York State, and peddled from 

 store to store by the growers. Later in the season, when the condition 

 of the roads does not permit this, and when the weather has grown so cold 

 that apples are not longer safe in ordinary farm storage, the wholesalers 

 supply the retail stores. They also deal more or less in native apples, 

 but handle considerable quantities of W^estern apples. 



North Adams is supplied by New York, Vermont and Massachusetts, 

 with apples from western New York and the Northwest in the latter part 

 of the season. 



New Bedford and Fall River are markets for many local apples, but 

 receive more from other sources, much of the local supply being of poor 

 qualit}', poorly prepared for market. However, the young orchards of the 

 vicinity are commercial orchards which receive good care and the fruit now 

 being oifered from them is of good quality, well graded and well packed. 



The approximate periods when the different varieties of apples from 

 the various sources are on the Boston market are presented in the accom- 

 panying chart. Chart 2. It shows that the chief competition of our early 

 apples is from the Middle Atlantic states, while New York and Washington 

 ajiples compete chiefly with our late fall and winter fruit. 



Competition of Massachusetts apples with those from other New 

 England states is not serious. Apples from New Hampshire are of about 

 the same varieties and quality as those grown in Massachusetts. Some 

 dealers believe that the New Hampshire fruit has greater keeping quality, 

 and a few think it takes on better color. On the Boston market Maine 

 apples do not bring the prices that are paid for apples from the other 

 parts of New England. 



Other Fruits. 



Throughout the year bananas and oranges are the strongest competitors 

 of apples. Bananas arrive on the Boston market in nearly three times 

 the volume of apples, and the average arrivals of oranges are about 45 

 per cent greater than arrivals of apples. The following tabulation (Table 

 6) shows carlot arrivals of various fruits in Boston for the 5 years, 1921- 

 1925. During these five years apples have comprised an average of 10 per 

 cent of the arrivals of all fruits on the Boston market. 



The latter part of the season apples must meet the competition of 

 strawberries which are on the Boston market from January to July or 

 August, depending on the season, but which reach the peak in Blay or 

 June. Of course this is a less serious competition than that of peaches 

 and cantaloupes which are in heaviest receipts during June, July and 

 August, although peaches are on the market till October and cantaloupes 

 till December. 



