8 



U. OF N. H. AGRI. EXP. STATION [Bulletin 249 



Out of the 207 locations just discussed, detailed estimates, checked 

 with all available records, were obtained from 103 proprietors in re- 

 gard to each kind of produce or merchandise handled. This was done 

 to get more accurate data in regard to total sales, as well as other in- 

 formation of interest. This accounts for the two groups of data, one 

 of 103 and one of 207 records, in Table III. Here the records have 

 been sorted into classes according to the total amount of sales at each 

 stand. It should be noted that the smaller group of detailed estimates 

 has a tendency to include the larger businesses and to drop out more 

 of the smaller ones. This results quite generally from a conscious 

 effort all the time to focus attention on the places selling farm products, 

 and this type tends to be larger than the others. For example, every 



Table III. — Distribution of sizes of stands as measured by total sales 



proprietor in the first group is definitely interested in raising and sell- 

 ing farm products, and the man who sells the least of the five happens 

 to be handling $2,000 worth. Also, while there were 46 stands out 

 of 207 which had sales not exceeding $500 and which averaged only 

 $338, there are only 8 of this range in the 103 group and their sales 

 averaged $332. Consequently the average total sales at each stand 

 for the group of 103 is $2,714, in contrast to $1878 for the 207. 



There are large numbers of very small merchandising stands; pos- 

 sibly so many that it is difficult for anyone to do a large business in 

 this class of goods. On the other hand it does not seem at all impos- 

 sible to develop a roadside market for farm products of appreciable 

 proportions. Out of the 103 proprietors, 18, or 17.4 per cent, showed 

 sales over $4,000 and practically 5 per cent made over $10,000 worth 

 of sales with an average of $12,721 each. Surely if a man could sell 

 at the door even $4,000 worth of farm products largely the result of 



