May, 1925] 



FARM PRODUCTION IN CHESHIRE COUNTY 



35 



ORCHARDING. 



Apples. 



Market. — -Local demand at present constitutes the chief market for 

 apples produced in this county. A few of the commercial growers ship 

 in carlots to the Boston market, but practically all of the apples grown 

 in small farm orchards are either consumed at home, made into cider or 

 vinegar, or sold locally as barrel apples. 



Local production does not entirely supply the Keene market even dur- 

 ing the local harvest season. In the year ending September 30, 1924, 

 the monthly freight receipts at Keene, divided into competitive and non- 

 competitive seasons, were as follows : 



Competitive season, in bushels. 



September 38 



October 2,379 



November 1,605 



December 38 



January 96 



4,156 



Non-competitive seasoi^, in bushels. 



Feljruary 



March 2,112 



April . 



599 



May 1,030 



June 1,386 



July 12 



August 48 



5,187 



The chief reason for these receipts during the local harvest season is 

 the higher quality and better pack of the shipped-in apples. Local pro- 

 ducers by improving on these points should be able to replace a consider- 

 able portion of such receipts. 



An expansion in the production of apples on a commercial scale, how- 

 ever, cannot be based upon the local market demand. Some of the grow- 

 ers might be able to truck a part of their crop to nearby towns, but the 

 larger part would have to be shipped in carlots to the Boston market and 

 sold in competition with apples from the Northwest, New York and other 

 commercial producing areas. 



Commercial growers in Cheshire County, as well as in other parts of 

 New England, however, have a decided advantage in lower transportation 

 cost over growei's in the Northwest. This advantage has increased during 

 the last few years as shown in Table X, and with lower prices for apples 

 has placed New England growers in a very favorable situation. 



Table X. — Freight rates on apples from Keene, N. H., and Wenachee, Wash., to Boston. 

 Freight rates per 100 lbs. (in cents) 1917-1922. 



Nearness to the Boston market also gives growers with trucking facili- 

 ties an opportunity to take advantage of temporarily high prices. 



Northwestern growers have been able to sell on New England markets 

 in competition with local producers, largely because of the better grade. 



