184 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



RANDOM THOUGHTS ON THE APPLE. 



PAPER READ BEFORE THE NORTHWEST FRUITGROWERS' ASSSO- 

 CIATION MEETING, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 5, 6, 7, 1901. 



By Prof. E. L. Smith. 



As far as can be ascertained, from data at hand, the commercial apple 

 orchards of Oregon comprise sixteen thousand five hundred acres. It is 

 also a conservative estimate to place the value of these orchards at 

 $1,650,000, an average of $100 per acre. 



A partial examination of these orchards discloses the fact that many of 

 them have been planted in soil unsuited for their growth, either too wet, 

 too arid or too shallow. The apple delights in a strong, deep, well- 

 drained loam, and I hazard an estimate that our apple orchards would be 

 worth ten per cent more than the foregoing valuation if they had all been 

 planted in proper soil and situation. 



Again, I found many orchards with trees set too closely, one at ten and 

 many at sixteen to twenty feet apart. In such orchards the elements of 

 plant growth are soon exhausted and early mortality is the result. I 

 again record a guess that the apple orchards of our state would have had 

 an increased valuation of twenty per cent if all the trees had been planted 

 not less than thirty feet apart, with possible exceptions in hot and arid 

 districts. 



And yet another trouble: The varieties we grow are indeed many and 

 at a local fruit fair I have counted over one hundred and thirty kinds. 

 We raise too many early apples that cannot be forced upon the markets, 

 and too many varieties that are unknov/n to the consumers of apples, 

 and too limited quantities of those of recognized merit; and as I am in 

 the guessing line I venture a third estimate, that our orchards would have 

 had an increased value of twenty per cent if not one of them contained 

 more than half a dozen varieties, and those such as experience had proved 

 best adapted to each particular locality. 



There are other considerable percentages of loss resulting from bad 

 pruning, indifferent cultivation, etc., which I cannot tarry to consider. 

 To recapitulate we have: 



Loss from unsuitable conditions of locality 10 per cent 



Loss from setting trees too closely 20 per cent 



Loss from planting too many varieties 20 per cent 



Total 50 per cent 



In other words, I believe that the individuals and the state would have 

 been $825,000 better off if our apple orchards had all been planted in proper 

 locations, trees farther apart, and with a less number of varieties and 

 those of standard kinds. 



