FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 69 



orchard. We usually locate this after the method of land description 

 and give approximate number of trees, also stating if any other than 

 apple trees are included. 



(3) The period covered by the contract should be stated. Nearly all 

 our contracts are for six years. We make the term even as it gives 

 both of us an even chance on the "off years." I would prefer to begin 

 with a run down orchard on the "off year" as it gives a chance to put 

 it in better condition for a heavy crop the second year. I should prefer 

 not to lease a badly neglected orchard for less than five or six years. 



(4) The agreements or concessions of the renter should be carefully 

 defined. These should include definite agreements as to pruning, burn- 

 ing brush, cultivating, mulching, mowing, thinning, removing undesir- 

 able trees, harvesting and marketing fruit, etc. The owner should see 

 that the contract is sufficiently explicit as regards spraying so that the 

 orchard will be kept reasonably free from scale, and if the lease is a 

 share lease other details of care, harvesting, and marketing should be 

 covered. 



(5) The agreements or concessions of the owner (and tenant if there 

 be one) should form another clause in the contract. These should in- 

 clude such provisions as access to the orchard at all times, also to the 

 water supply for spraying, buildings for storage of fruit or packages 

 or for stabling horses ; agreements as to board and horse feed while 

 working on the orchard, fertilizers, mulch materials, use of owner's or 

 tenant's tools, cultivation, cropping or pasture, fences and confining of 

 stock, rooting of hogs, and any other details for which it may be fore- 

 seen that occasion may arise. 



Our orchards are all leased with privilege of pasturage of sheep and 

 hogs during the spring and summer. With some the dates of removing 

 them are stated, in others it is optional with us. The pasturage problem 

 has caused us considerable annoyance. Owners, or more often tenants, 

 are careless about turning out stock when they should, or do not keep 

 up fences well and stock breaks into the orchard. IS possible to make 

 such a contract we would exclude stock altogether, but one could rent 

 few orchards in our locality in this way. Hogs cause the most trouble 

 by rooting the ground, making it inconvenient in spraying and harvest- 

 ing the fruit. We now put in a special rooting clause covering this 

 point. If possible the renter should see that water is pumped into an 

 ample storage tank by mill or engine. Life is too short to pump it by 

 hand for extensive spraying. It is well to provide for storage facilities 

 and stable room if possible for these may be needed, also agreements 

 as to board and horse feed if these are to be furnished by the owner. The 

 questions of cultivation, fertilization and mulch material should be 

 settled. In one orchard we get the wheat straw grown on a portion of 

 the farm for this purpose, on another we get barnyard manure. 



(6) Finally, the consideration should be stated. If the orchard is 

 leased for a cash rental the amount and time of payment should be 

 stated, if on shares the portion and grade of fruit and division of vari- 

 eties. Agreements as to division of drops and cider apples should be 

 included, also whether owner or renter is to pick and deliver owner's 

 share. The division of all expenses of care, haiwesting or marketing 

 between owner and renter should be clearly stated, and the full author- 

 ity of marketing should rest with one or the other party, preferably 



