INCREASING THE PRODUCTION OF THE BEARING 



APPLE ORCHARD 



Circular No. 43 



Fruit growers directly concerned in the production of apples and those 

 about to make new plantings should be interested in knowing the pros- 

 pects of reasonable returns from the expenditure of capital and labor 

 involved in the development of their orchards. A recent survey of the 

 state shows some very interesting changes that have taken pkice in the 

 acreage of apples and also emphasizes the necessity of better cultural 

 methods to insure larger and more profitable crops. 



The farm orchard in Michigan is rapidly ceasing to be a factor in 

 the production of apples in the State, especially in the southern coun- 

 ties. Ten years ago the farm orchard in these counties was a very 

 important factor in the apple production of Michigan. These orchards 

 have now either disappeared entirely or most of the remaining ones are 

 so badly diseased and neglected that they are not capable of producing 

 normal crops. In the northern and eastern counties of the southern penin- 

 sula as well as in tlie counties tlirougliout the fruit belt, the farm orchard 

 is still in fair condition so that in seasons of favorable weather condi- 

 tions fair crops may be expected. The heaviest loss in acreage in the 

 State has occurred in Hillsdale, Branch, Calhoun, Jackson, Ingham, 

 Ionia and Livingston counties. In Hillsdale county the acreage is esti- 

 mated as being only 35% of the 1910 bearing acreage. The loss in the 

 other counties ranges from G5% to less than 30% as in the case of 

 Clinton and Shiawassee counties. In the eastern part of the State, the 

 loss has not been so severe as in the south-central and southern coun- 

 ties. Most of the counties in western Michigan show but a slight de- 

 crease and in some cases they show a slight increase over the 1910 acre- 

 age. In Allegan county the acreage is estimated at 88% of 1910, Berrien 

 92% and Mason 100%. Oceana county has increased to 105%, Benzie 

 and Leelanau each to 115% of 1910. 



*The total number of bearing apple trees was estimated as approxi- 

 mately 4,052,000 trees on June 1st, 1919. Of this acreage about 45% 

 may be classified as sprayed trees; that is, trees that were sprayed at 

 least once during the season. On this basis the sprayed acreage of the 

 State ajjproximates 53,000 acres with an estimated average yield of 

 45 barrels per acre. The yield of unsprayed orchards averaged aljout 

 15% of tlie yields of sprayed orchards. The yield per acre varies con- 

 siderably with the care of the individual orchards. This was particu- 

 larly true during the season of 1919 when a large part of the commercial 

 crop, especially in the southern counties in the State, was found in 

 orchards well-nourished and cultured, or in those on whicli the crop had 

 been light for the past two or three years and a large supply of stored 



♦Data furnished by U. S. Bureau of Crop Estimates. 



