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READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



SPANISH ONIONS IN MANCHESTER 



By Grafton L. Wilson 



Place of production . 

 Place of consumption . 

 Price received by shipper 

 Price paid by consumer 

 Difference between prices. 

 Number of steps between the pro- 

 ducer and consumer . . . . 



Freight 



Tax for handling and canal dues 



Brokers' margins 



Price paid by wholesaler . . 

 Wholesalers' margin (average) . 

 Price paid by grocer .... 

 Grocers' margin i s. 3 d. to 3 s. 7 d 

 (average) 



Valencia 



Manchester 



3s. 4 d. to 4s. 3d. per cwt. 



1 d. per pound 



4s. 6d. to 5 s. 5d. per cwt. 



Necessary, 3 



Usual, 3 or 4 



Possible, 5 or, in the case 

 of onions sold by the 

 very small grocer buy- 

 ing from the huckster, 6 



7d. to gd. per cwt. 



6^d. to 7d. per cwt. 



1. 1 2d, to 3.30 d. per cwt. 



4s. 8d. to 5 s. 6d. per cwt. 



8d. per cwt. 



5 s. 6d. to 7 s. per cwt. 



2 s. I o d. per cwt. 



The trade in Valencia onions follows similar lines to that in 

 potatoes, with the addition of a step known as the commercial 

 saleroom between the shipper and wholesaler. 



The retail price most generally found was i penny per pound 

 with sometimes 2 pounds being given for i^d. For the best 

 grade (No. 5) the price was in some stores 2 pounds for 2id. 

 The latter price was charged in the stores of the Manchester 

 Cooperative Society, but the Pendleton Society received the usual 

 price of id. per pound. 



The prices at wholesale in the market ranged from 5 s. 6d. to 

 7 s. the hundredweight, with an average of 6 s. 



The onions come in boxes of light wood holding i hundred- 

 weight which are divided into three compartments. The onions 

 are carefully graded, and the grades are numbered 4, 5, or 6, 



