No. 7. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL.TTJR,E. 



201 



PROFITS. 



I have left this important item for the close. Yet it is one of 

 such vital importance to the individual about to embark into any 

 enterprise. Does it pay? Can it be made to pay that it should be 

 a first consideration? In ans\ver to these questions, I will say for 

 the intelligent, industrious, painstaking man, one possessed of good 

 business traits, there is no other business enterprise that offers such 

 sure and satisfactory returns for time and mouev invested, than 

 a well selected, well trained, and well fed orchard. There are hun- 

 dreds of them, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, from the At- 

 lantic to the Pacific Oceans, that have been, and continue to bring in 

 to their owners, princely incomes. There is no other business 

 started with a small amount of money that grows so rapidly. No 

 other business, while paying large dividends, lays by a sinking fund 

 so rapidly. 



The lowest estimate on horticultural ^alue is one dollar per tree, 

 per year, for the first thirty years. That means one acre of land 

 planted with thirty-five trees would be worth, at that time, the 

 large sum of ^1,050.00. Will it pay interest on this? 



At this age, a minimum crop would be ten bushel. In favorable 

 seasons, and with good attention, it will treble this. At ten bushel 

 per tree means only 350 bushel per acre. At 50 cents per bushel 

 (price of common apples), means |175.00 per acre, or over 16^ per 

 cent, interest on horticultural value. Many orchards pay for them- 

 selves and pay these dividends before attaining the age of ten years. 

 Time will not permit of going into details on the jn'ofits of commer- 

 cial orcharding. If there are any ''Doubting Thomases," I can give 

 them the names of scores of successful growers to corroborate my 

 statements. 



I will give data, secured in Orleans county, N. Y., showing yield 

 and income from orchards sprayed different numbers of times: 



How Treated. 



Income. 



Unsprayed 



Sprayed once 



Sprayed twice 



Sprayed three times, 

 Sprayed four times, 



$103 00 

 139 00 

 143 00 

 184 CO 

 211 OO 



The orchards above mentioned were, of course, otherwise well 

 cared for. Such instances can be given in nearly every state. 



MR. SEAVY: Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask what is the cause 

 of the bark of young apple trees four or five inches through, split- 

 14 



