No. 4.] FRUIT CULTURE. 235 



maintain and improve its productivity. This is the first 

 important step to take, whatever the line to follow, whether 

 in general stock farming or in fruit culture. 



Apple Culture Promising. 



One of the most promising industries for the future is 

 that of apple culture, when we consider the subject of 

 specialties in production. While there has been an enor- 

 mous increase in the planting of apple orchards, yet the 

 demand for this most excellent and standard fruit has kept 

 fully apace with the supply. 



We can realize something of the value of apples when we 

 study the annual production of this fruit. The crop of 

 1901 is the smallest in many years, being but 23,075,000 

 barrels ; in 1895 the crop was (30,000,000 barrels ; in 1896, 

 the largest crop ever produced, 69,070,000 barrels. 



In 1898 I made an investigation into the value of the 

 land in New York State for apple culture, and a report from 

 twent} r farms in Niagara County, covering a period of five 

 years, showed an average income of $88 per acre at the 

 orchard. This was from the ordinary or little care that 

 was given to orchards ; and it makes the surprising income 

 of six per cent on a valuation of $1,466 per acre. Other 

 reports showed $110 to $175 per acre income. One report 

 gave the surprising income of $700 per acre. This orchard 

 was given the care, fertilizing, spraying and general good 

 management that this fruit requires. 



Now, this is a surprising statement to make, but when 

 we count the income from the land, the same as we would 

 from any other business, we find that such values as these are 

 actually existing with us here to-day. The trouble is we 

 do not place a high enough appreciation upon our land, 

 we do not think sufficiently of the income which land is 

 really giving us ; but it is simply because we, as farmers 

 and fruit growers, do not bring to our business the same 

 kind of calculations, the same business care that other men 

 have to do in their business, and hence we have not the 

 knowledge, really, of the true facts in regard to the value 

 of land. Now, if this value, taking the average of about 



