38 UNIV. OF N. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 217 



The present yields of apples per tree for the county are very low. In 

 1924 it was estimated at .7 of a barrel. Ver}^ little attention is given to 

 these small orchards, and the apples sold are considered as a net gain. 

 This yield could be considerably increased by proper fertilizing, spraying 

 and pruning, but many small orchards would not justify a very large cash 

 expense. 



There is a considerable acreage of land, especially in the southeastern 

 part of the county, which is well adapted to the production of apples on 

 a commercial scale. The conditions here are very similar to those in 

 Hillsboro, the adjoining county, where the industry is quite a sizable one. 



The cost of an orchard at bearing age and the annual expense of a bear- 

 ing orchard for this area have been estimated on the basis of data obtained 

 from commercial growers in New Hampshire. The cost of an orchard 

 for the first ten years, on land valued at $35 per acre, interest at 6 per 

 cent compounded annually, is as follows: 



Sod Mutch System. 



One acre of quincunx orchard (54 trees). 



Land $35.00 



Trees 32 . 40 (60c each) 



Staking ] 



Digging I- 21 .60 (40c each) 



Setting J 



Wire protectors 8 . 10 



Nitrate (10 years) 28.00 



Spraying (10 years) 57.00 



Digging around trees (10 years) 95.40 (18" radius) 



Cutting and raking hav (iO vears) 40.00 



Taxes ".....' 10.00 



Costs $327.50 



Compoiuid interest 170. 12 



'rotal cost $497 . 62 



The estimated annual expense over a series of years in properly caring 

 for a full bearing Baldwin tree in an economical orchard unit is as follows : 



Estimated dinnuil cost of caring for full-bearing Baldwin tree, sod mulch orchard. 



Priming $ . 40 



Spraying .50 



Fertilizing .30 



Mowing grass .10 



Miscellaneous .20 



Overhead .70 



Total $2.20 



This is etiual to -11.10 per barrel at an average yield of two barrels per 

 tree, which most growers in New Hampshire obtain by following proper 

 cultural practices. However, sale of cider apples will offset a part of 

 the cost of growing, leaving the average net cost per barrel of fruit which 

 will be packed about $1 on the tree. 



To the cost of $1 per barrel on the tree there must be added the expense 

 of harvesting, packing and loading on the cars. In a commercial orchard 

 of one of the adjoining counties this work was performed in 1923 at the 

 following cost: 



