220 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. ' 



CAN THE GENERAL FARMEK AFFORD TO GROW APPLES? 



It is proper to consider wlietlier the general farmer can grow apples 

 as a farm crop, or more particularly, whether he can afiford to care for 

 the trees now on the farm so as to grow fruit for the family use and 

 for sale, provided there are enovigh trees. 



The orchards above described have been handled in connection with 

 general farming operations and small fruits, with the additional dis- 

 advantage of two of them being four miles from home. The size is 

 about the same as the average orchard in many farming sections, and 

 about the same difficulties are presented, including the unavoidable use 

 of the orchard for stock, the presence of San Jose scale, and the previous 

 neglect. 



In addition to returning a cash profit that averaged |167.09 for the 

 past five years, — as previously mentioned, — they have furnished fruit 

 for several families and considerable food for stock. During this time, 

 the trees have been brought from a state of neglect to fairly good con- 

 dition. The work has been done without encouragement from, and 

 against the advice of, relatives and friends, and without the investment 

 of a cent of capital not secured from the trees themselves. Neither 

 has any farm nor small fruit crop been neglected on account of the 

 apple orchard. 



It seems reasonable to suppose that any farmer who has the willing- 

 ness to care for his orchard and will follow a few plain directions 

 can do as well or better. It will be difiicult for many farmers to name 

 a crop that will give a greater net income for a series of years, and 

 at the same time involve less risk or require less capital. To make a 

 measurable success of such a proposition, a farmer must have a little 

 love, or at least respect for his trees, and perform the operations upon 

 them in a careful manner and at the proper times. If the spraying 

 is left until he can find nothing to do, it wall never be done on time, 

 and often will not be effective. The farmer is then quite likely lo 

 conclude that spraying is of no value. Some fruit of fair quality can 

 be grown Avithout spraying, in some seasons considerable good fruit, 

 but a good paying crop is never assured without spraying; should it 

 chance to come, it is generally when fruit is abundant in the neighbor- 

 hood and consequently cheap. During the past few years, there have 

 been few instances of good crops from unsprayed orchards. 



There are argiimeuts against the care of small apple orchards by 

 stock or general farmers, and the arguments are sufficient for those 

 to whom the care of an orchard is distasteful, if they will purchase 

 and keep on hand dtiring the seaso7i such fruit as a good home orchard 

 n-ill furnish. This proviso well nigh nullifies the statement, for few 

 farmers will or can provide such a supply of apples during the entire 

 season as a good orchard vriW furnish. 



The chief difficulty in caring for a small orchard is the spraying. 

 Fairly good fruit can be grown without cultivation, if some mulching 

 or manure is applied, and a home orchard can often be utilized as a 



