May, 19251 



FAKM PRODUCTION IN CHEStilRt: C'OUNTV 



13 



Employment. 



The distribution of employment in manufactories is shown clearly in 

 Table III. 



Table III. — Distribution of employment in factories by towns.* 



*Data Ironi New Hampshire Bureau of Labor for year 1923-24. 



Every section of the county has some establishment which employs 

 men who either live on nearby farms or furnish a market for farm prod- 

 acts. 



The center of manufactining activity is, of course, at Keene, where 

 nearly half of the establishments are located. The Hinsdale and Win- 

 chester section is second in importance, and Jaffrey, third. 



The average yearly wage of employees in Cheshire County in 1919, ac- 

 cording to the United States Census, was $943, compared with an average 

 of $1,063 for New England. In spite of this lower wage, the standard of 

 living of wage-earners is probably equal to that in other parts of New 

 England, because of cheaper living conditions. We would not, however, 

 expect a demand for high quality farm products above the average of 

 other cities. 



MARKETING AGENCIES. 

 Wholesalers. 



Keene is the distributing center for food products over quite a large 

 area extending outside of the county. These products come into Keene 

 usually in carload lots, and are then redistributed by truck to outlying 

 towns. A considerable amount of produce is also received in Keene by 

 truck from Boston and Fitchburg, Mass. 



Three large wholesale produce companies, one wholesale fruit company, 

 and two wholesale meat companies handle most of the food products 

 shipped in. A number of chain-stores, however, receive their supplies 

 direct from outside producing or distributing centers. 



