efforts on one enterprise has affected fruit growing as a two-edged sword. 

 The grain, cattle, dairy, and pouhry farmer is no longer interested in 

 caring for a small orchard. His time is better spent on his major enter- 

 prise. The same situation holds true for the grower whose major enter- 

 prise is fruit. Orchards have become larger and apple production is now 

 a specialized operation. 



Table 2. Percent of Total Income Derived from Major Enterprise for Various 

 Type Farms, United States, 1930 and 1950 



Source: U. S., Bureau of Census, Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930. Gen- 

 eral Report, Vol. IV, 930. 



U. S., Bureau of Census, United States Census of Agriculture: 1950. General Report, 

 Vol. II, 1230-1231. 



Specialization in itself generally leads to more efficient operations in 

 terms of costs and productivity. The present-day specialized orchardist 

 is able to spend more time than did his forebears studying and putting 

 into practice improved methods of growing and harvesting. The trend 

 toward fewer larger farms has allowed production resources to be con- 

 centrated on farms where economies of scale are possible. The present 

 day apple grower can afford mechanical sprayers, fertilizer spreaders, 

 pruners, and harvesting equipment that not only reduce unit costs, but 

 do a better job than is possible with hand lal)or. The number of sprays 

 applied annually to apple orchards has at least tripled during the past 

 30 years, resulting in a sharp decline in apples unfit for commercial use. 



Scientific research has materially increased the productivity of the 

 nation's orchards. New varieties arc more prolific than those of the 

 early 1900's. Improved methods of pruning, spraying, and orchard man- 

 agement have resulted in a higher production of ?alaj)le fruit per tree. 



Regional Production 



Some significant changes in the regional distriljution of apple trees 

 have occurred over time. Reference is made to Table 3. Since the first 

 census reports on numbers of trees in commercial orchards appeared in 

 1940, the analysis is based on the period, 1940-1960. Although the num- 

 ber of trees in all areas has dropped sharply, it is obvious that some 

 regions are staying in the apple business and others are not. 



The central part of the country has experienced a drastic drop in 

 tree numljers and will probably cease to be a commercial apple produc- 

 ing area. In most cases part-time orcharding in the Midwest has given 



