March, 1938] Agricultural Research in N. H. 7 



of the information depending on the completeness and accuracy of the 

 respective reports. This questionnaire includes such headings as: 

 Highway Mileage, Highway Equipment, Wage and Truck Rates on High- 

 ways, Schools, Indebtedness and Tax Delinquency. Towns in other 

 areas will be visited to permit a more general survey of conditions. 

 {Purnell Fund) 



Market Good for Some Kinds of Small Fruits 



Reports from 150 hotels, tea rooms, camps and tourist homes in the 

 state indicate that some definite market opportunities exist in such lines 

 as early peaches, cherries, raspberries, and late and everbearing straw- 

 berries in sections where large numbers of summer people come. Very 

 little real effort has been made to supply local markets with a continu- 

 ous supply of fresh fruits by planting different kinds and varieties, 

 finds L. A. Dougherty. 



The most frequent complaint by those serving summer guests is that 

 they cannot depend on regular service from farmers and do not know 

 when they will come or what they will have. High prices are also fre- 

 quently mentioned as a reason for using canned fruits and vegetables in- 

 stead of fresh ones. 



A list of persons who can and preserve vegetables and fruits has also 

 been obtained and these are now being contacted to determine kinds of 

 produels being put up. prices, and where sales are made. The principal 

 difficulty seems to be the high prices of raw products for canning and 

 preserving which make it almost impossible to compete on price with 

 products from other sections. Nevertheless, some opportunities do 

 exist. One man in Alton was grading all his tomatoes so well that hotel 

 trade was well pleased with them and the seconds were placed in juice 

 and sold mostly to summer people. Generally speaking, prices are so 

 high that little in the way of first class fruits can be used in canning and 

 preserving. 



Surpluses, if they should exist, can be disposed of to the south in 

 Massachusetts where seasons are earlier, or they can within limits be 

 utilized in canning and preserving for sale to summer visitors. {Pur- 

 nell Fund) 



Most Active Farms in Conservation Program 



About 84 per cent, of the active farms in the state were included in 

 the work-sheets of the Agricultural Conservation Program, if the per- 

 centage found in 12 representative towns held throughout New Hamp- 

 shire. Brief records were taken on 1,900 farms. Of these only 664 or 

 35 per cent, signed work-sheets ; but a classification of them showed the 

 following division : 



Total In program % in program 



Commercial farms 



Active 339 286 84.36 



Less active 350 185 52.85 



Non-commercial farms 



Subsistence 336 114 33.92 



Residence 805 67 8.32 



Miscellaneous 70 12 17.14 



Total 1,900 664 34.94 



