SHIPPING MASSACHUSETTS APPLES 

 TO OUT-OF-STATE-MARKETS 



By A. H. Lindsey, Professor of Agricultural Economics, and A. A. Brown^ 



Introduction 



Increasing total and commercial production of apples in Massachusetts, without 

 a proportionate increase in home consumption, points to the necessity for expan- 

 ding the consuming area. Growers are already shipping apples to New York 

 City, and a few have tried other cities outside of New England. Their exper- 

 ience has brought home to them the need of more information about transportation 

 and market facilities, if these cities are to become regular outlets for their crop. 

 This study was therefore undertaken to assemble and make easily available to 

 growers facts which may help them solve the problems which arise in shipping 



their fruit. 



\ 



Method 



Approximately 100 leading Massachusetts apple growers were interviewed in 

 order to secure original data. The experience of these growers in shipping their 

 apples by various methods and under different conditions was made the basis 

 for the study of comparative transportation costs. 



Information on transportation questions was secured from local, central, and 

 off-line representatives of both originating and delivering railroad carriers. Data 

 were also obtained from the various tariffs of the participating lines. 



Data on markets were assembled by correspondence with railroad agents, cham- 

 ber of commerce officials, federal and state marketing representatives, and mana- 

 gers of produce terminals. 



Adequacy of Data 



.Mthough but 100 growers were interviewed and only 73 reports were used, the 

 results seem adequate, for these growers produced 51 per cent of the total com- 

 mercial ci^op in Massachusetts in 1931. In Table 1 growers are grouped according 



Table 1 — .'\pple Growers in Massachusetts Classified on the Basis of 



1931 Production 



Production Range in Bushels Number of Growers 



9 



22 



11 



9 



4 



12 



2 



4 



73 



'Graduate Assistant in Agricultural Economics. 



