28 BULLETIN 861, r. S. DEPARTMENT OE 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 
Xew 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 
