CONSUMER DEMAND FOR APPLES 71 



Conclusions 



1. It is evident tliat in the three southern states of New England the 

 Baldwin is the favorite apple for cooking and the Mcintosh for eating- 

 raw. These varieties can likewise be indentified by more consumers than 

 can any other varieties. 



2. The prices over four seasons show the Mcintosh to be the favorite 

 apple in the Boston market. 



3. Less than one-third of the consumers reporting say that they can 

 tell the Western from the Eastern apples, and more than half of those 

 who can distinguish between them must eat the apple in order to make 

 complete identification. 



4. Flavor seems from consumers' reports to be the chief factor influenc- 

 ing the purchase of apples, although dealers report that color is very 

 important, most customers desiring only red apples. 



5. In the average household apples are served two or three times 

 weekly, but there are many homes in which they are served more fre- 

 quently. 



6. Storage holdings of apples are largest in December, and movement 

 out of storage is greatest in January, February and March, tending to 

 spread the consumption over a longer period than formerly. Indeed, apples 

 are now on the market twelve months of the year. 



7. Prices received for the different grades show that consumers in 

 general prefer A grade apples to B grade, although prices seem to indi- 

 cate that in general consumers care little whether the early varieties are 

 graded or not. 



8. Two different classes of apples are now grouped together as "un- 

 graded". There is need of distinguishing names for them in order to 

 avoid confusion on the market. The term "ungraded" should be reserved 

 for tree run fruit from which culls and ciders only have been removed. 

 The other class — apples remaining when B grade and better, culls and 

 ciders have been removed — may well be called C grade or "domestic", 

 or some similar term. 



9. The generally preferred sizes are 2% to 3 inches as indicated by the 

 prices paid for them. More than half the consumers reporting prefer 

 apples uniform in size. 



10. The per capita consumption of apples in the United States is less 

 than one bushel, and while the total consumption is increasing, this in- 

 crease is not keeping pace with the increase in population. This indicates 

 that the per capita consumption is gradually declining. 



IL No correlation has been established between wages, either nominal 

 or real, and the price of apples, nor between real wages and per capita 

 consumption, this lack of correlation indicating that the consumption of 

 apples does not depend on wages nor the purchasing power of wages. 



Publication of this document approved by 

 the Commission on Administration and Finance. 



5M-5-'29.^ No. 5728 



