FRUIT NOTiS - February, 1939 



W. H. Thies 

 Extension Horticulturist 



Planting urchurds in Massachusetts 



The ^''.verage rainfall in Massachusetts is about 43 inches. Tnis is more 

 than the important competing apple regions get. Me get our heaviest precipitation 

 in July and August when vi/e need it most. Our climate gives a finish to apples 

 that has long been fam.ous, and its very severity holds insects like codling moth 

 in check to such an extent that we have less trouble with them than any important 

 competing section. 



In tne past 10 years Virginia has averaged about 45/ of a crop each year. 

 New York has averaged 53^;, New iiiigland 63/o, and the Northwest about 70/. The North- 

 west stands highest in average / of a crop and Nuv; iingliind comes next. The depend- 

 able ropping of New i^nglund orchards is a real ^dvant-go. \iVti are rapidly becoming 

 a onfc;-v:^riety section and th.::.t is a disadv^^ntage. Mcintosh is the most popular 

 apple on the market -nd we would not tr:.da it for any or .ill the others grown else- 

 whtpre, but wc do need a good, high quality v-^riety to grow with it. Mcintosh prob- 

 i^bly is the most difficult ^pple to handle tn..t is grown unywht;re and wo still 

 hu.vo much to le^-rn about placing it on the raark^^t in good condition. 



We have some excellent orchard sites and soils, many of v;hich are not now 

 utilized for orch^xding. Recent studies of the rjl>.ttion of subsoils to root de- 

 velopment havo added much to our knovi/ledge of vi^hut soils to select. 



Here in the Northeast we have a densely populated area characterized by a 

 high concentration of wealth. This makes the best market on the continent. Its 

 nearness makes marketing costs very low and affords advantages that many sections 

 can never offset. This is all reflected in the average per bushel price received 

 by Massachusetts grovi/ers. The following table will make this clear. 



Average Farm Price Paid for Apples 



The decline in the per capita consumption of apples is not necessarily a 

 calamity for the apple grower. The per capita consumption is arrived at by divid- 

 ing the total crop (150,000,000 bu.) by the population (125,000,000) to get the 

 average consumed by each individual (1 l/S bu.). This is lower than it was a few 

 years ago--not because people refuse to eat apples for they eat all you grow, but 

 because fewer apples are produced. «Vhy ^re fewer apples .produced? Gold winters 

 have destroyed millions of apple trees j increasing difficulties in controlling 

 pests have driven many thousands of small orch..\rds out of business, and commercial 

 orchards h._ve not been planted fast enough to take up the slack. Prices have not 

 been high enough to encourage large-scale planting--th;it is wh^ro the decline in 

 consumption operates. 



Issued by the ^ixtension Service Vi/ill;..rd A. Munson, director, in furtherance 

 of acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, Massachusetts btate College, United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and County i:jXtynsion Services cooperating. 



