56 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 250 



out differences in tiie character of demand in the three states, and to give 

 the added weight of so large an amount of evidence, it has been deemed 

 worth while to present the material as here shown. 



Moreover, New England markets are not far apart and shii^ments of 

 produce from one to another are not uncommon, so that facts concern- 

 ing demand in neigliboring markets may be of use to both growers and 

 dealers. 



4. The fourth class of material, likewise statistical in character, deals 

 with wages, both actual and real, in relation to the prices and consump- 

 tion of apples over a term of years. For the statistics of real wages the 

 author acknowledges indebtedness to Professor Paul H. Douglass of the 

 University of Chicago. Other wage statistics are taken from reports of 

 the United States Department of Labor. The purpose in presenting this 

 material is to show the relation, if any, between the consumer demand for 

 apples and the volume of money the industrial classes may have to spend. 



The Springfield Market 



Springfield Trade Area 



In general the trade area of Springfield is estimated by the Springfield 

 Chamber of Commerce as extending about fourteen miles from the center 

 of the city. This includes Holyoke, Chicopee, Chicopee Falls, West Spring- 

 field, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Indian Orchard and Aga- 

 wam. For the purposes of this study, however, some adjustments must be 

 made because of certain receipts of apples in this area throughout the 

 weeks of the fall and early winter, which do not go to Springfield. The 

 apples received in this trade area from cold storage and from other than the 

 local producing sections are purchased througli the Springfield and Hol- 

 yoke wholesalers. 



The population which may rightly be considered as a part of Spring- 

 field's apple consuming public numbers about 80,000 in addition to the 

 population of the city proper, making a total of about 232,000. 



As is true in the city of Springfield, so in these surrounding towns com- 

 bining with the city to form this trade area, large quantities of apples 

 are sold by the growers directly to the retailers. Some of the retailers 

 in these towns report that they obtain all their apples from growers dur- 

 ing the fall. Others buy considerable quantities from growers, although 

 some 'of their supply is purchased from Springfield dealers throughout the 

 entire season. 



In these towns also there is more or less distribution of apples from 

 grower to consumer; but this volume is uncertain and difficult to estimate. 

 It is, however, reasonable to assume that at least as high a ratio exists 

 here as in Springfield proper, where about one-tenth of a bushel per capita 

 is estimated as distributed directly by growers to consumers. This adds 

 about 8,000 bushels to the total volume for the trade area. Allowance 

 must be made also for the volume supplied by growers to retailers, which 

 has been estimated as the total supply for twelve weeks of the fall, or 

 perhaps one-third of the apple season. This adds, conservatively, about 

 20,000 bushels to the total volume for the Springfield area. No estimate 

 is attempted of the volume purchased at roadside stands, which doubtless 

 amounts to a considerable quantity during the early fall. 



