12 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 351 



out-of-pocket investment for several years before equal returns can be 

 expected. No doubt this is one reason why many farmers have not car- 

 ried on the ten-year pasture improvement program. 



Under these conditions it would seem advisable that the Agricultural 

 Conservation Program direct its resources toward aiding the farmer over 

 this initial period of investment. Furthermore, it is suggested that greater 

 emphasis be placed on lime and superphosphate for pastures. 



H. C. WOODWORTH, D. HOSKEN 



The Place of a Small Inland Town in the War and Postwar Economy 



Located in an area of declining agriculture and with no local indus- 

 tries, Northwood's chief contribution to the war effort is manpower. 

 Thirty-eight per cent of the entire working force are employed full time 

 toward winning the war, either as servicemen (18 per cent) or as defense 

 plant workers (20 per cent). For a number of years the trend in land has 

 been away from the earlier agricultural pursuits until today most of the 

 property is used as rural residences for persons who are employed in the 

 surrounding cities, as summer places, or as homes of retired persons. Over 

 70 per cent of the working population are employed out of town and 

 many of these supplement their incomes by living on small part-time 

 farms. Northwood is ideally located for summer activities and, accord- 

 ingly, there are 160 camps and 40 summer homes on the nine lakes in the 

 hills or on the federal highway which runs through the center of town. 

 The summer people provide the principal market for the town's remain- 

 ing commercial agricultural enterprises. 



Although Northwood was once an important shoe manufacturing 

 center, it is no longer economically located for a large industry; but small 

 town industries using local labor and raw materials are a postwar possibi- 

 lity. However, Northwood is most likely to continue primarily as a year- 

 round residential suburb for workers in the industries of the surrounding 

 cities and as a summer resort for vacationists from the urban centers, such 

 as Boston and New York. 



D. HoSKEN 



Marketing Mcintosh Apples 



Best returns on low-grade Mcintosh apples have been received from 

 sales at farms or in near-by markets. In fact, cases have been noted where 

 the net return from sales on grades below the Fancy grade exceeded those 

 for Fancy apples which had been stored and sold in city markets. 



Careful handUng is exceedingly important with the lower grades of 

 Mcintosh. Those in grades below Fancy, if in good condition, are 

 usually more palatable than those from a Fancy pack which have become 

 soft and bruised. Over half the bruising occurs after apples leave the 

 growers' storage. Those which were rehandled in the stores had about 

 50 per cent more large bruises than those sold from original containers. 

 Conspicuous bruising is all too common in our large sizes of Mcintosh. 

 They are softer than smaller sizes and need special care in handling. That 

 such care will be well repaid is indicated by test sales made in retail stores. 

 Unbruised lots sold three and one-half times faster at a much greater 

 margin. 



