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MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 231 



tity of apples — usually barreled winter stock — keeping it in the wholesaler's 

 storage space till needed. 



When retailers buy from the growers they generally buy larger sup- 

 plies than when they buy from the wholesaler. Most growers plan to sell 

 their fruit before the weather grows too cold for hauling so that the retail- 

 ers must generally depend on wholesalers for supplies after the holidays. 

 This situation is particularly characteristic of markets in the western part 

 of the state. Growers in this section sell considerable quantities directly 

 to retailers and comparatively little to wholesalers. Some wholesalers 

 reported that they do little or no business in apples untM the new year, be- 

 cause of the competition of the growers' sales to retailers. 



Retailers buy from growers, wholesalers and jobbers, and many of 

 those in the vicinity of Boston who deal in Northwestern boxed apples, 

 buy on the auction market in Charlestown. 



Taible 7 shows the proportion of retailers reporting who buy from 

 grower and wholesaler in the different markets. 



Over half (52 per cent) of the retailers reporting on this item buy 

 more or less of their supply directly from growers; and 18 per cent buy 

 from producers all the apples handled. Some retailers will not buy 

 from the grower because he demands cash, whereas the wholesaler will 

 usually extend credit. 



While 82 per cent of the retailers reporting do business with whole- 

 salers or jobbers, only 48 per cent buy all their apples from these firms. 



Table 7. — Retailers Purchasing from Grower and Wholesaler 



In some of the markets of the western part of the state particularly, 

 large quantities of apples are sold by the growers to the retailers. In 

 Greenfield, for example, there is no wholesaler or jobber of apples, and 

 there are few apples on the market except those from orchards in Franklin 

 County. Formerly there were few apples of good qualitj', well graded, 

 except those from the Northwest. The quality of home-grown apples 

 has improved and the demand for them has increased accordingly. 



Brands 



Few Massachusetts apples are sold under a brand. A goodly num- 

 ber of growers, however, pack apples of such good quality that their names 

 on box or barrel give sufficient assurance of satisfaction, both dealers and 

 customers accepting the name as evidence of quality. 



