-7- 



During the 2-day tour of peach growers, I observed a variety 

 of tree spacings and training systems. Tree spacings varied from 

 double rows with trees 8 feet x 8 feet and a 12 foot alley, 7 feet 

 X 14 feet, (432 trees/acre), 10 feet x 18 feet, 12 feet x 16 feet, 

 10 feet x 20 feet, 16 feet x 18 feet to 20 feet x 20 feet. The 

 trees were being trained on wire using the 2-arm oblique cordon 

 system, by the open-center method, by the modified central leader 

 system, or as central leader trees. Yields as high as 30,000 lbs. 

 per acre were reported. 



The major problem being encountered in older plantings of 

 closely- spaced trees was that of containing tree height. In these 

 plantings the majority of the current season's growth (3-5 ft. 

 in length) was beyond the reach of a person standing on the 

 ground. It also was interesting to note that summer pruning was 

 being practiced to restrict tree size in some plantings. 



Orchard Value 



The most frequent question asked of the writer was about the 

 value of orchards in Massachusetts. With orchards in the Okanagan 

 Valley valued from $15,000 to !^25,000 per acre, the BC growers were 

 amazed at the comparatively modest value of our orchards. Certainly 

 high land values and concern about fruit tree loss from periodic 

 winter freezes helped explain the high trees densities in BC in 

 relation to tree densities in Massachusetts. Tree fruit growers 

 in BC could make more money by selling their land than by selling 

 apples because the scarcity of suitable land and the need for water 

 limits acreage available for tree fruit production, residences and 

 businesses. Unfortunately the freeze on sub-division of agricultural 

 land has not deterred buying sizeable acreages for real estate. It 

 is, however, a deterrant for most people wanting to become fruit 

 growers or for growers wanting to expand their acreages. 



Labor Force 



It was estimated that 60 to 701 of the orchard labor were 

 transients from Quebec who receive "starting" salaries of approx- 

 imately six dollars per hour. Harvest help is paid on a piece 

 work basis, nevertheless, attempts are being made by the Canadian 

 Farmworkers Union to organize the transient labor force. 



Summary 



In retrospect the most striking difference between orchards 

 of the Pacific Northwest and Massachusetts is tree density. Den- 

 sities of 250 to 300 trees per acre even with seedling rootstock 

 are common whereas in Massachusetts growers are planting trees on 

 M7a or M>U06 rootstocks at 72 to 140 trees per acre. The question 

 is, why the difference? We are not blessed with the long hours of 

 high light density as in the Pacific Northwest. Our land values 



