-6- 



We know from experience and experiment that acid peat is excellent in 

 the planting hole. If acid peat is placed around small plants on the soil 

 surface, the roots will grow up into it so that after a year's time they will 

 be almost setting on top of the soil. If the peat is placed at the bottom 

 of a trench and the blueberries set on top, the roots will grow down into 

 the peat. 



Probably the next most desireable material is well decayed leaf mold, 

 woodland turf, or wood from rotten logs or stumps. 



In heavy clays, sawdust mixed with the soil has been used successfully 

 to lighten it up. Unless the sawdust is pretty well decayed, it's use will 

 require the application of additional nitrogen. This must be done with great 

 care when small plants are involved. 



John S. Bailey 



I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



WHAT ARE UNPROFITAgLE TREES? 



There are as many definitions of unprofitable trees as there are orchardists. 

 There have been many recommendations made to fruit growers with rules for 

 indicating when trees should be removed from the orchard. The only safe rule 

 to apply is the one that begins "it depends" and ends "on your situation." 



The following situation is one taken from a Massachusetts orchard and 

 illustrates a method which can indicate the effect of a change on net income 

 from the orchard. 



This orchard consists of 45 acres of orchard with 1830 trees in blocks 

 with trees aged from 10 to 40 years and about evenly distributed by age groups 

 of five years. The 40-year trees are large. The average production on the 

 orchard is 13,000 to 14,000 bushels with 12,000 bushels sold on the average. 

 It is proposed to remove a five acre block of the older trees because of size 

 and estimated cost of picking and spraying. Yields on the average are 280 to 

 300 bushels per acre with the oldest block at 400 bushels per acre. The owner 

 and one year-round employee plus seasonal help are used. 



Returns and costs in a recent year are given below. An estimate of the 

 effect of removing a five acre block on net income is also shown. All equip- 

 ment is owned and a 10,000 bushel refrigerated storage costs are included in 

 the items of expense. Excellent quality crops are grown and sold at wholesale 

 with some retail sales included in total income. A change in the number of 

 producing units does not affect all cost items alike, some change and some do 

 not. 



