A Closely Planted Wealthy Apple Orchard 



"W. T. Macoun, Horticultvirist, Central experimental Farm, Otta-wa 



CONSIDERABLE interest has been 

 shown in the results obtained from 

 a small, closely planted Wealthy 

 apple orchard at the Central Experi- 

 mental Farm. There are 129 trees in 

 this orchard, occupying about one-third 

 of an acre, and planted in the spring of 

 1896. The trees were originally 10 by 

 10 feet apart, but a few have died. Full 

 details regarding the returns from this 

 orchard were published in the annual 

 report for 1904. 



In that report it was shown that the 

 average net profit per acre from the 

 time of planting was $54.13, and from 

 the time of fruiting, $106.19. There 

 was a heavy crop in the orchard in 1904, 

 and the crop in 1905 was medium. The 

 total crop produced was 1,247 gallons, 

 of which 631 was picked fruit and 616 

 windfalls. Part of the windfalls were 

 sold in baskets as they were good apples, 

 and they brought fair prices. 



These receipts and expenditures are 

 estimated from about one-third of an 

 acre (40-121) and the estimated figures 

 per acre are given on the assumption 

 that the percentage of sales in boxes and 

 baskets would be the same from a full 

 acre. A record is kept of the time 

 actually spent in caring for this orchard 

 and the other expenses incurred. Labor 

 is valued at 15 cents an hour. There 

 was no expense for cultivating since 



1902, as the trees being close cultivation back were much larger than on the 



is impossible. The grass that grows is others, and while the crop was reduced 



left to die down and rot. somewhat, the greater percentage of 



As the trees were beginning to inter- marketable fruit compensated to a 



lace, about half of them were severely considerable extent for the loss of crop, 



headed back in the spring of 1905, and The orchard received a heavy applica- 



the remainder were thus treated this tion of barnyard manure in December, 



spring. The apples on the trees headed 1904. 



Sale of Fruit from Closely Planted Wealthy Orchard, 1905 Estimated 



Per Acre 



Sold, 203 baskets at 17J^c $ 35 52 $107 45 



" 22 baskets at 20c 4 40 13 31 



" 2 bags at 25c 50 151 



" 42 boxes (Glasgow) at $1 .46 61 32 185 49 



$101 74 $ 307 7 6 

 EXPENSES, 1905 - —i-— — i-ai-.^— 



225 baskets and covers at $5.25 per 100 $ 11 81 $ 35 73 



42 boxes at UJ^c 6 09 18 42 



Freight on boxes 14 94 45 19 



Commission on sales 6 92 20 93 



Rent of land 99 3 00 



Spraying 2 49 7 53 



Picking fruit 9 00 27 22 



Grading and packing fruit 8 41 25 44 



Barnyard manure (8 tons at 50c.) 4 00 12 10 



Pruning 3 00 9 07 



$67 65 $204 63 



Net Profit, 1905 34 09 103 13 



Average net profit per acre per year, 1896-1905 59 03 



Average net profit per acre per year, 1899-1905 105 75 



Pruning Plums and PeacHes 



"My system of pruning plums and 

 peaches," said Mr. Jos. Tweddle, of 

 Fruitland, "is to head in vigorously 

 and thin out. While this system is 

 more expensive than the ordinary sys- 

 tem of thinning, without heading, I find 

 it well repays the extra expense by the 

 increase in the size of the fruit. 



"This system has doubled the size of 

 my plums and peaches especially, when 

 the trees have been low in vitality. I 

 also practise this on pears and apples, 

 where trees are below the normal vital- 

 ity. It invigorates the trees and brings 

 them back into increased growth. Five 

 years' experience has con\'inced me of 

 the value of this method." 



Closely Planted Apple Trees in Fruit at Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa 



(Photograph by Prof. F. T. Shutt.) 



143 



Apples must be grown successfully 

 before much can be accomplished in 

 selling. The greatest difficulty is ex- 

 perienced with growers who have 30 

 to 50 barrels, and who do not spray or 

 care for their orchards. — D. Johnson, 

 Forest. 



