May, 1925] FARM PRODUCTION IN CHESHIRE COUNTY 43 



on one market to take their entire crop, as can growers close to Boston, 

 but must make regular trips to a number of large towns at considerable 

 expense for transportation. The actual marketing unit for a grower in 

 this section is from twenty to forty miles in radius. 



The principal commercial producing area is in Vermont, just across 

 the border of Cheshire County. Growers there are well situated with 

 respect to both Cheshire County and other markets, and are able to raise 

 vegetables slightly earlier than the local producers. In view of this fact 

 and the nearness with which local growers are now suppl.^•ing the market, 

 no encouragement should be given for further expansion on a commercial 

 scale. 



General farmers in this county can usually work out at good wages 

 during slack seasons of the year. This should prove much more profit- 

 able to them than the production of a few vegetable crops for market. 

 In the case of old men, however, vegetable gardening may often be en- 

 couraged as a means of utilizing available labor for a small remuneration. 



Laborers working on roads or in factories who live on farms often have 

 time for the production of vegetables for market. With this class of 

 producers, the larger their sale of vegetables the larger the total income. 



There is, however, special opportunity for the commercial production 

 of potatoes which deserves separate attention. 



POTATOES. 

 Market. 



Cheshire County is a deficient potato-producing area. During the 

 year covered by this survey, more than 91,000 bushels were shipped in 

 at an average transportation cost of 22.5 cents per bushel, and approxi- 

 mately half of this amount was consumed in the county. 



Local production does not even supply the demand during the harvest 

 season, as shown in Table XIV. 



Table XIV. — -Monthly receipts of potatoes at Keene, together ivith yearly receipts of other 

 toums, divided into competitive and non-competitive seasons. 



Competitive season. Non-competitive season. 



Bushels. Bushels . 



Octol)er 6,555 April 8,034 



November 2,081 Mav 5,959 



receml)er 2,172 June 5,612 



January 3,785 July 13,609 



February 7,527 August 3,001 



March . ". 2,269 ^ September 1,833 



24,389 38,048 



Local receipts of stores outside of 



Keene 10,671 18,229 



35,060 56,277 



Grand total receipts 91,337 bushels. 



Potato growers in this county have an advantage in price of more than 

 22 cents per bushel over those producers that are now supplying the pota- 

 toes shipped in from October to March. Most of the farm sales are also 

 made directly to stores or private individuals, and the prices received 

 are considerably higher than wholesale. 



