February, 1939] agricultural experiments 1938 



25 



THE VOLUME OF ROADSIDE MARKETING 



An investigation of the roadside markets distributed over 1,000 miles of 

 the main highways of the state shows 800 places where roadside selling is 

 done. Complete records for 103 stands were taken by M. G. Eastman. 

 Total sales for each stand averaged $3,700. Five stands sold over $10,000 

 worth each, and only 8 sold less than $500. 



Gas and oil represent 39% of the total sales; purchased food, candy, etc., 

 30.9%; farm-raised products, 19.3%; farm prepared foods, 18.1%; farm 

 products purchased and sold, 4.9% ; miscellaneous, 4.8%, and lodging, 3%. 



About 30% of the sales were made on Sunday and 19% on Saturday; 

 the other days averaged from 9 to 11%. July and August were the busiest 

 months, when over half the business was done. The total value of labor for 

 each stand was slightly over $1,000. Wages for men, women and children 



A typical New Hampshire roadside stand with a variety of products from 



vegetables to balsam pillows 



varied from 15>4c to 43c an hour. Only 11.3% of the labor was hired. 

 In general the cost of hired help was slightly more than the estimates for 

 value of home labor. 



A study of a second group of 100 miscellaneous stands of smaller size 

 showed total sales averaging about $1,000 each. (Purncll Fund.) 



SOIL FERTILITY IN THE GARDEN 



Danish Ball Head cabbage was grown in 1938 on the permanent soil fer- 

 tility plots by J. R. Hepler. A heavy application of manure, 33 tons per 

 acre, was compared with more limited applications of stable manure sup- 

 plemented by commercial fertilizers. Practically equal results were secured 

 from the two sets of plots. One-half of each plot was limed at the rate of 

 2,000 pounds per acre in alternate years. The limed half of the plots 



