SUMMARY. 



Extent of the Survey. During the summer of 1903, 574 orchards, con- 

 taining 3,761 acres, were examined in Wayne county. In 1904, 564 

 orchards, of 4,881 acres, were examined in Orleans county. The statistics 

 in this report are based on Wayne county. The results from Orleans 

 county we hope to publish later. 



Area planted to apples. There are in Wayne county about 21,000 acres 

 of apple orchards. The total area of improved land in farms is 305,299* 

 acres ; or, 6.9 per cent of the improved farm land is planted to apples. 



Varieties. Baldwin and Greeniing are the leading varieties. Roxbury 

 Russet, King, Northern Spy and Twenty Ounce are also rather exten- 

 sively grown. The recent plantings have some of these same varieties, 

 but there is a tendency to plant the earlier-bearing kinds. 



Rented orchards. Between twenty and twenty-five per cent of the 

 orchards are rented. The four-year average yield of those managed by 

 the owner has been 210 bushels ; of those managed by renters, 174 bushels. 



Orchard renovation. Nearly all of the orchards have been badly neg- 

 lected, but during the past few years a large part of them have received 

 more attention. Fourteen per cent have been distinctly renovated during 

 the past ten years. 



Tillage and yields. Twenty per cent have been tilled five years or 

 more; 44 per cent have been in sod at least five years; the others have 

 been tilled part of the time. Thirty per cent were tilled in 1903. 



The four-year-average yields have been : Tilled every year for at 

 least five years, 266 bushels; tilled most years, 229 bushels; sod most 

 years, 202 bushels ; sod at least five years, 148 bushels. Or the average 

 yield of those that are regularly tilled is 80 per cent above that of those 

 regularly in sod. A part of this difference is due to tillage and a part is 

 due to the fact 'that the man who tills his orchard is likely to give it 

 improved care in other respects. Taking only those orchards that -are 

 otherwise well cared for, the difference is reduced to 35 per cent in favor 

 of tillage, the four-year-average yields being: Tilled every year, 271 

 bushels ; tilled most years, 245 ; sod most years, 206 ; sod every year, 200. 



Of the various methods of sod treatment, pasturing with hogs or sheep 



Twelfth Census Report. 



356 



