Dec, 1929] ROADSIDE MARKETING 5 



locations of all kinds and descriptions from those indicated by single- 

 word signs tacked up on a tree in the door-j'-ard to the most elaborate 

 individual organizations comprising refreshment stands, gas stands, 

 dining-rooms and overnight accommodations. A variety of things is 

 sold ranging from gifts to goose eggs and from aspirin tablets to old- 

 fashioned furniture. The usual run of farm products, home cooking, 

 liomemade rugs, and such merchandise as the carbonated beverages, 

 ice cream, candy, tobacco products, frankfurters, gasoline, motor oil, 

 etc., predominate. Some attempt was made to classify the stands, and 

 the results are shown in Figure 2. There is such intermingling and 

 overlapping of enterprises by chance or design that any grouping must 

 suffer inconsistencies. Different symbols on the map on page 2 depict 

 something of the distribution of these same classes geographically. The 

 striking thing is the predominance of the merchandising tj'pe selling 

 purchased products. Doubtless this can be accounted for by the ease 

 or organization and development rather than by excessive remunera- 

 tion. 



From the map a concentration of stands in general through the 

 southern part of the state and along the more heavily travelled roads 

 may be observed. The number of automobiles passing daily is one 

 of the most important factors in increasing sales.* Consequently the 

 Daniel Webster highway from the Massachusetts state line to Concord 

 with its daily traffic of from 4,000 to 6,000 automobiles and trucks is 

 a decidedly more attractive location than the Keene to Nashua road 

 with only 1,000 to 1,600 cars passing daily.** Roads through the Na- 

 tional Forest in the north end of the state are not available as sites 

 for roadside stands. 



The presence of more markets for farm products in the southern 

 part of the state is due to an additional advantage in gro^^^ng a better 

 ^'ariety of produce throughout a longer growing season than in the 

 north, and to the proximity of more nearby cities to supply local trade 

 as well as to the general advantage of more travel on the roads. The 

 77 locations selling homegrown produce are shown separately on a 

 map, page 15. There is also evident from the more inclusive map on 

 page 2 an actual and proportionally larger number of overnight accom- 

 modations in the mountainous part of the state. This is due perhaps 

 to less competition in price from the local hotels as well as to the ab- 



*Per cent determination of total sales bj^ the average number of cars passing 

 daily, distance to nearest village, distance to nearest stand of similar kind, hours 

 open per day, and weeks open per year. (101 Locations) 



Factors Per cent 



Average number of cars and trucks passing daily 33 



Distance to nearest village 01 



Distance to nearest stand of similar kind 02 



Hours open per day — -01 



Weeks open per year — -02 



Total .33 



R 1.23456 = .569 



**Report of a surv^ey of transportation on the State Highways of New Hamp- 

 shire 1927, by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads and the New Hampshire State 

 Highway Department, Page 78. 



