AN APPLE ORCHARD SURVEY OF WAYNE COUNTY, NEW YORK. 257 



the above estimate, or perhaps the estimate substantiates the census 

 returns, for this work should be much more accurate than the census. 



The average area for each proprietor in Walworth is 5.4 acres. This 

 includes all orchards as large as one acre. In the remainder of the 

 county such small orchards were not recorded, so that the average 

 does not give an accurate idea of the average size. The average of 

 those examined was 17.2 acres. 



The development of the commercial orchard. Half a century ago the 

 agriculture of Western New York was grain raising and general farm- 



FIG. 40. Many of the public roads are lined with apple-trees. 



ing. The orchards were " kitchen orchards." They were planted 

 around the house or in some corner that could not be used for the 

 regular crops. The busy farmer paid little attention to the trees. He 

 merely gathered the apples, and gave about the same attention to the 

 orchard that the boys gave to the chestnut tree. The apples were a clean 

 gift. If there were enough for the kitchen and .the cider barrel the farmer 

 was satisfied. He had no quarrel with the worms or the scab fungus. 

 The more worms the more cider apples, and since the farmer sometimes 

 appreciated the cider barrel fully as much as he did the apple barrel, he 

 was willing to share the crop with the insects. 



