28 BULLETIN 861, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of opinion of those in close touch with the situation that for the 

 decade preceding 1916 the average yield per acre approximated 2 

 tons. The yield was materially reduced in 1917 by a very severe 

 early freeze and in 1918 by a combination of rootworm injury and 

 the winterkilling of the previous season. Very little replanting is 

 being done. 



Marketing Methods. 



While practically all known methods of marketing are used in the 

 belt, two general types of sale greatly predominate — sales to local 

 buyers and sales to grape- juice factories. These factors are for the 

 most part reliable, up-to-date business men, who have the interests 

 of the industry at heart. The juice factories of the belt have more 

 prominence than in any other section and furnish an easy and profit- 

 able outlet through which the grower may dispose of his crop. The 

 importance of this phase of the industry is constantly increasing 

 and will undoubtedly absorb the small quantity of grapes which 

 have hitherto been used locally for wine manufacture. In normal 

 years sales are made on an f. o. b. basis, which is facilitated by the 

 high development of the industry in this section. 



Cooperation. 



At present there are four growers' cooperative associations in 

 existence in the belt, only one of which is of more than local im- 

 portance. This association has been the largest handler of grapes 

 in this section and largely through its efforts the high reputation 

 enjoyed by this section and the wide distribution of its products has 

 been developed. The organization devotes special attention to the 

 New England trade and makes many sales in the smaller cities of 

 Massachusetts and Connecticut. Because this association allows 

 many of its members to sell direct to juice factories, its shipments 

 have not been so large in recent years as formerly. 



Quality of Pack. 



Careful trimming and packing and well-developed methods of 

 handling the crop built up a high reputation for the grapes shipped 

 from this section. The grape berry moth is troublesome in certain 

 localities, but as fungus injury is generally very light, most of the 

 grapes are picked into the shipping baskets directly from the vine. 

 The pickers in this section are often paid by the basket. In this case 

 it is to their advantage to place the bunches in the packages as loosely 

 as possible. When the natural shrink is added, and the bunches are 

 shaken down by the motion of the wagon and the freight car, these 

 loosely packed baskets often reach the market with an inch margin 



