PREFACE 



This bulletin, presenting a graphic picture of conditions and results 

 attending apple growing in Ontario county, is the fourth of the series 

 devoted to the findings of surveys of important apple-producing counties 

 in New York State. Studies of prevailing practices as affecting the apple 

 industry have been made in Wayne, Orleans, Niagara, Ontario, Monroe, 

 and Orange counties. The results of the apple survey of the first four 

 counties will, with the publication of this bulletin, have been presented 

 to the growers who have contributed the data, in the hope that these 

 leaves from the book of their own experience, when carefully studied, 

 will prove highly helpful. Indeed they can hardly be otherwise. 



The field work, as stated by the author, was done by Messrs. A. W. 

 McKay and W. A. Salisbury under the supervision of Professor C. S. 

 Wilson. The heavy and difficult task of collating and tabulating the 

 data and drawing conclusions from the figures obtained was faithfully 

 executed by Miss Harriett M. Martin, the author of the bulletin, who 

 also visited a number of the orchards of the county with survey blanks 

 in hand in order to secure infonnation and point of view which would 

 assist her in properly interpreting the results. These tables have been 

 carefully scrutinized by the present writer, who is thoroughly assured 

 of the accuracy of the tabulation methods employed. 



In the main, the results of this study of apple-growing conditions in 

 Ontario county corroborate the findings of the earlier surveys. This 

 bulletin shows that apple growing in this county is a highly profitable 

 industry. It proves that profits are secured largely in proportion to the 

 application of intelligent, up-to-date methods. It demonstrates that 

 spraying is a highly profitable practice, and that fertilizing and culti- 

 vating are indispensable to the fullest returns. These are fundamentals ; 

 yet they are often overlooked. The figures show that it pays to cultivate. 

 Our fonTicr bulletins of the series emphasized the same thing. All or- 

 chards in Ontario county will not be cultivated as a consequence of the 

 facts set forth in this bulletin, but certain it is that tillage of some kind 

 or type a part or all of the time pays better than continual sod methods. 

 The man who cultivates is making the most money, and the commercial 

 apple grower is looking for dollars more than for the gratification of 

 sentiment. 



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