COMMERCIAL APPLE INDUSTRY 

 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 



By G. F, POTTER and H. A. ROLLINS 



Duriii}: tlic suiiiiiu'i' ul" 1925 a survey of tin- trees iu tlu" coimuercial 

 apple orchards of New Hampshire was made by the New Hampshire 

 Ag^i'icultural Experiment Station. This work was done in cooperation 

 with the New Enghind Research Council, similar surveys being made 

 ill most of the other New England states, in order to make available 

 information in regard to the fruit situation throughout New England. 

 The present imblication deals wholly with the apple industry of New 

 Hamjishire, but it is expected that at an early date at least the most 

 important data for the whole New England section will be available. 



The work should be of value as a guide as to whether or not or- 

 chards should be i)lanted; if so, as to what varieties may be used, and 

 as to what methods or practices may best be used in present orchards 

 in order to meet the forthcoming economic situation. Accordingl}-, in 

 order to make this publication of greatest value the writers have not 

 hesitated to add information and opinions as to the commercial char- 

 acteristics of certain varieties, the necessity or value of certain orchard 

 practices and other material not strictl.v gained from the growers' 

 replies. 



Each farm on which there was known to be an orchard of at least 

 100 bearing trees or 200 non-bearing trees was visited by a member of 

 the Exiieriment Station staff. Information as to the number of trees 

 of each variety and their age, the production for the crop of 1924, the 

 methods of grading, selling, and the prices obtained was asked. In all, 

 804 farms were visited, on which there were approximately 352,000 

 trees. In 65 cases either because of the absence of the owner, lack of 

 records, or unwillingness of the proprietor to give the information, there 

 was no record as to the crop harvested, or prices received. These 65 

 orchards contain aj^proximately 31,000 trees and appear to be an av- 

 erage group including some of the large orchards and some of the 

 smaller ones. 



Information as to the farms which ought to be visited was obtained 

 by inquiiy in each community. It is believed that practically all 

 orchards of the appropriate size were included and that the record is 

 practically complete as regards commercial orcharding in this state. 



The number of trees is approximately 40 per cent of the number re- 

 ported for the state by the Ignited States Census of 1924. Thus, while 

 commercial orcharding has been gaining rapidly in recent years in 

 rhis state and the farm orchards have been declining, at the present 

 time less than one-half of the trees are in commercial orchards. It is 

 significant that when these trees are grouped as bearing and non- 

 bearing we find that the commercial orchard survey covers only 38 per 



