18 BULLETIN" 477, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In general, the market quality of Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, 

 Arkansas, and Delaware-Maryland berries seems to have been fairly 

 satisfactory hi 1915, while the Tennessee, Norfolk, and Carolina 

 stock was not quite so well received. From this it must not be in- 

 ferred that identical conditions will prevail in the future, as they 

 may be quite reversed. The foregoing refers to the 1915 season only. 



DISTRIBUTION OF STRAWBERRIES IN 1915. 



Shipments of straight carloads of strawberries to 299 different 

 towns and cities in the United States during the season of 1915, 

 according to telegraphic reports furnished to the Office of Markets 

 and Rural Organization by the railroads during that season have 

 been tabulated by districts and destinations in Table 2. This tabu- 

 lation includes reports of all diversions, so far as it was possible to 

 secure them. Fairly comprehensive arrangements were made with 

 railroads at the beginning of the season, so that it is believed reports 

 of diversions are practically complete, but this table is given as an 

 approximate rather than an absolutely correct report. 



According to these reports the center of heaviest strawberry con- 

 sumption in 1915 was what may be called the metropolitan district, 

 including New York, Melrose (upper New York City), Jersey City, 

 Newark, and Paterson. This district may be considered practically 

 a unit, as the supplies received in Jersey City are sold largely in New 

 York, though to some extent in New Jersey, while Newark and near-by 

 cities often purchase heavily on the New York market. The metro- 

 politan district absorbed, in all, 1,964 cars. The next heaviest con- 

 sumer was Chicago, with 884 cars; third, Boston, with 781 cars; 

 fourth, Cincinnati, with 396 cars; fifth, Pittsburgh, with 359 cars; 

 and sixth, Philadelphia, with 300 cars. Other cities receiving 100 

 cars or more were Buffalo, N. Y., Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio, 

 Detroit, Mich., Kansas City, Mo., Minneapolis, Minn., Omaha, Nebr., 

 Rochester, N. Y., St. Louis, Mo., and St. Paul, Minn. The relatively 

 small number of cars of strawberries shipped to Philadelphia may be 

 accounted for in part by the heavy receipts of 1. c. 1. shipments from 

 near-by districts. The figures for Boston and New York include boat 

 shipments from the Norfolk district reduced to equivalent carloads. 



Many small towns and cities with populations of but a few thousand 

 received supplies of from 1 to 10 cars during the season. While 

 these small markets are not heavy consuming factors individually, 

 in the aggregate they take heavy supplies and are of great importance 

 to shippers. It is altogether pYobable that many similar small 

 markets which do not now receive full carloads could be developed 

 to the advantage of both the strawberry grower and the consumer. 



Figures 12a to 12c (facing p. 24) are maps representing graphically 

 the distribution of strawberries as reported by wire in 1915 for all dis- 



