THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 147 



duction— what young "fries" will bring in the early season, etc. The saying, "Don't 

 count your chickens before they are hatched" must have had its origin with some learned 

 chicken fancier; but putting aside all jesting, no doubt there is money in the chicken 

 business if one understands how to mine the gold. 



I once heard our worthy president say, "that he believed a man to be successful with 

 chickens should be half hen," and perhaps this may account for the success many women 

 have along this line. 



Now I am not at all certain what a man should be made of to be successful with peaches 

 — surely not half tree — and still when one sees some men growing (or not growing) peach 

 trees, one is sorely tempted to call them sticks. 



Many of the failures made in peach growing might be traced to stupidity; please do not 

 imagine that I am posing as a model peach grower, as I must too confess to having 

 done many stupid things. However I am not here to tell you of my failures, or those of 

 any other person, but that peach raising is a profitable business. 



Since I am to talk on the profit in peaches, I will give you as definite information on the 

 subject as I liave been able to secure. 



A gentleman who gave me the following figures is not, strictly speaking, in a peach 

 locality; still as the result shows he has succeeded in making money and we must concede 

 that his location is not bad. 



He had 50 acres in peaches that were 12 years old. From the 50 acres he took during 

 that period 38,000 bushels of good, bad and indifferent peaches that sold for enough money 

 to pay all expenses, taxes on the land, six per cent interest on the valuation of $100.00 

 per acre and allowed him a salary; leaving him besides all this 33 cents net per bushel. 

 Thirty-eight thousand bushels at 33 cents per bushel gave him a profit of $12,540 or $250.80 

 per acre for the 12 years; or $20.90 per acre per year — which is 20 per cent on $100.00. 



Do you know of any legitimate bu^^iness that a man can engage in for a term of 12 years, 

 in which he can make more money? The gentleman who gave me the above figures said 

 the trees bore only five crops in the 12 years; a tree doesn't bear fruit vmtil it is five years 

 old, and if it lives until it is 15 years old it will hardly bear oftener than each alternate 

 year, making six crops in 15 years; we cannot figure on trees living to be 15 years old, 

 still many live 20 years and many die before eight seasons have passed over their heads 

 so that the average is about 12 years. 



I am indebted to Prof. Fletcher for the following figures, which were compiled by Mr. 

 T. A. Farrand giving the probable cost of an acre of trees from the time the trees were 

 set, through a period of ten years. 



Cost of production. 



First Year. 



One acre land at $100.00 per acre with interest at 6 per cent. . . 



Fitting land 



104 trees at 7 cents (20 feet apart) 



Setting trees 



Harrowing 5 times, allowing one hour with team for each time- 

 ly bushel oats, 45 cents, cover crop 



Second Year. 



To interest on land 



To spraying trees 



To pruning trees 



To ploughing orchard and harrowing five times. . - 

 To putting in cover crop 



Third Year. 



To interest on land 



To spraying trees 



To pruning trees 



To ploughing and cultivation. 

 To putting in cover crop 



$21 23 



14 25 



17 25 



