20 



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



accurate records is given in Table IX. These people in every case 

 are devoting a major part of their energy to building up trade in farm 

 grown produce. There is considerable variety in other respects, never- 

 theless, from total sales of over $12,000 to less than $300, and from 

 doing business the year around to only three months, and from com- 

 pleting 47 percent of the week's business on Sunday to less than 2 per 

 cent. The average for the twelve is $2,140 total sales, less than 20 

 per cent on Sunday, over 10 per cent for each of the days through the 

 middle of the week, and a little over 18 per cent for Saturday. The 

 market that caters to local trade has more control over distribution of 

 sales by way of suggestion and advice to patrons as well as by other 



Table IX. — Percentage distribution of sales through the week 

 (From daily records of 12 stands selling a large proportion of home-grown products) 



advertising, and is less dependent on daily traffic so much influenced 

 by weather and coincidence wdth holidays. 



Not only does the method of selling we are discussing obtrude on 

 the proprietor's Sundays and holidays, but on his evenings as well. 

 Some figures bearing on this condition are shown in Table X. Nearly 

 10 per cent of these places interviewed were open all the time day and 

 night. One place selling much home cooking attributed its success 

 quite largely to a midnight dining room and lunch business after its 

 competitors had closed. The average number of hours open per stand 

 for the 103 was 14.4 hours on week days and 15.1 on Sundays and 

 holidays. This is likely to mean lengthening the day mostly at the 

 latter end, for it is often the custom to begin these same long days at 

 nine or ten in the morning as traffic commences to increase. 



But a fluctuating business must have its ebb tides as well as its flood. 

 So looking at Table X again we find that while approximately 25 per 



