638 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Economics of apple orcharding, C. I. Lewis and H. A. Vickebs {Oregon 

 Sta. Bid. 132 {1915}, pp. 10^, figs. 14). — The division of horticulture of the 

 station has been conducting inquiries for four years concerning the cost of 

 fruit production in the Pacific Northwest. As a result of this work some data 

 were obtained from about 1.000 orchards, more or less complete data having 

 been secured from about 500 orchards located in Oregon, "Washington, Idaho, 

 and British Columbia. The purpose of the present bulletin is to present average 

 costs of production, based on this inquiry, which will serve as an aid to those 

 orchardists attempting to lower their production costs and which will indicate 

 what expenses may be includetl under the various headings of growing, hand- 

 ling, overhead charges, and selling. The figures used are taken from farms 

 which have at least two-thirds of their entire acreage devoted to orchards and at 

 least tiAO-thirds of this orchard devoted to apples. In addition to a study of cost 

 of production based on averaged data, examples are given of actujtl production 

 costs on various types of orchards. The various factors entering directly into 

 the cost of production are discussed, and consideration is also given to diversi- 

 fied farming in relation to lowering the cost of fruit production. 



From the data secured as a whole it appears that the average cost of clear- 

 ing land and planting to apples in the Northwest is about $112.82 an acre. The 

 average cost of maintenance and development of orchards 2 to 3 years of age 

 is $62.72 an acre ; 4 to 5 years of age, $60.36 an acre ; and 6 to 7 years of age, 

 when some returns were received, $.52.87 an acre. The average cost of produc- 

 tion of apples in orchards 6 to 9 years old with an average yield of 120 bu. per 

 acre was $140.92, or $1.18 a box. The average cost of pnxluctlon of apples in 

 orchards 10 to 18 years old with an average yield of 233 boxes to the acre 

 was $220..50 per acre, or 95 cts. per box. 



The average fruit ranch was found to contain too many horses for economical 

 management. Apples were producetl much cheaper on the larger units than on 

 the smaller units, and it is condudetl that those growers who are depending on 

 5 or 10 acres of apples should either enlarge their orchards or combine with 

 apple production some other agricultural activities. It is believed that the 

 choice of varieties for the Northwest should be reducetl to a dozen and that 

 each locality should only produce those few varieties that are best suitetl for 

 local conditions. 



With reference to crop diversification, the authors conclude that the best 

 opportunities to diversify the apple farm, especially where lands are high-priced 

 and where there is an overhead cost, taxes, and interest on the investment 

 of from .$30 to $.50 an acre, is by the growing of more than one kind of fruit 

 in addition to raising the home supply of vegetables, pork, poultry, milk, and 

 all necessary stock feetl. A number of growers are handling forage crops to 

 advantage where the crop is fed to live stock on the place. When such crops 

 are grown for hay in the orchard, however, the increased cost of producing the 

 hay under such conditions leaves only a narrow margin of profit. 



The raising of truck and garden crops in the orchard will prove profitable 

 only in exceptional cases if it is necessary to hire labor for all work. Where 

 irrigation is practiced the strawberrj" is one of the most succe-ssful crops grown 

 among trees in the Northwest. Potatoes have been tried as an intercrop with 

 varying success. Where conditions were favorable for cheap and abundant 

 pasturage and where most of the concentrates necessary may be rai.se<l on the 

 farm or obtained at a reasonable price, hogs have proved a profitable invest- 

 ment with orcharding. Dairjing will not prove profitable in conjunction with 

 orcharding in the Northwest unless the orchardist procures a superior herd 

 and produces on the ranch the major portion of all feed consumed. 



