10 



UXIXERSITY OF XeW HAMPSHIRE 



[Sta. Bull. 321 



The Supply Period 

 Sectional variation in strawberry supply period 



Since a number of factors influence the time of ripening of straw- 

 berries, it is rather difficult to select representative records from dif- 

 ferent parts of the state. Considerable variation does exist in the 

 supply period of growers in the same section of the state. So the 

 records presented here are not representative of all growers in any 

 section. 



The records used were from eastern Rockingham, southern Car- 

 roll, and western Coos counties. First, peak, and last picking dates 

 during 1938 were : 



First Peak Last 



Ruckingham Tune 11 June 21 July 5 



Cairoll June 15 June 28 July 14 



Coos June 27 July 12 July 23 



This difference of 21 days between the peak dates indicates that 

 there is a possibility of moving strawberries north or south within 

 the state if a surplus exists in either section. Shipments from the 

 northern part of the state into southern cities are likely to be rela- 

 tively more profitable than shipments in the opposite direction, since 

 there would be less outside competition. Nevertheless it appears 

 that more berries could be shipped from the southern part of the 

 state to northern sections. See Fig. 1 for the supply periods of 

 growers in three different sections in 1938. 



Berries move from both Elaine and Vermont into the northern 

 section of the state, and especially into towns near the borders. 

 But not many berries are shipped from these states into central and 

 southern New Hampshire late in the season. 



The point is that there is sufficient variation in ripening dates to 

 permit growers to shift supplies from one section to another ad- 

 vantageously if supplies exceed the needs of local markets. Cer- 

 tainly the Coos county grower has an almost unlimited field to the 

 south. Even though the market is more limited late in the season 

 there are enough large markets to the south to absorb all the ber- 

 ries that are likely to be raised in northern New Hampshire for 

 manv vears to come. 



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t« f ic 



io (> t* ■• i« >o 



JUNt 



J U LY 



Fig. 1. Per cent of the supplies of strawberries available for market 

 each day duriiip the season for southern, central, and northern New 

 Hampshire growers in 1938. 



(Basrd on a three-day moving average). 



