July, 1926] Apple Industry in New Hampshire 9 



trees for the whole state. A commercial survey at that time would 

 undoubtedly ha\e shown a very much higher proportion of non-bear- 

 ing trees than the present one. The 1925 census shows slightly more 

 non-bearing trees for the state total than did the census of 1920 . 



In making the survey, the trees were classified according to age. 

 These data for each county and for the state as a whole are shown in 

 Table 2. It is encouraging to note that over 40 per cent of all the 

 trees in New Hampshire arc under 10 years of age and nearly 60 per 

 cent are under 15 years. On the other hand, the commercial orchards 

 contain relatively few trees between the ages of 15 and 30, only about 

 16 per cent of the total being in this class. About 26 per cent of all 

 trees in commercial orchards are more than 30 years of age. This 

 gives evidence of a comparatively recent development of commercial 

 orcharding, the old trees probably for the most part being trees which 

 have been rcno\atcd by the same growers who have planted the newer 

 orchards. It is not surprising that average production per bearing tree 

 is low because such a small proportion of the trees are at their most 

 productive age, namely between 20 and 30 years. Even without further 

 plantings it is evident that for many years there will be a large annual 

 increase in conunercial apple crops due to increased bearing surface on 

 the trees which are now under 15 years of age. 



Planting in New Hampshire reached its height during the years of 

 1915 to 1920. However, planting during the last five years has been at 

 a rate only slightly lower than that of the period from 1915 to 1920. In 

 the leading fruit county, Hillsborough, the plantings of the last five 

 \ears -have exceeded those of the previous five by an average of more 

 than 1,000 trees per year. Casual observation indicates that this rate of 

 planting is being maintained or even increased at the present time. At 

 a meeting of fniit growers held in Wilton during February, 1926, the 

 fact was disclosed that the men present had purchased about 15,000 

 trees for planting in 1926, this number alone being about half that 

 planted in the whole county during the period of 1920-25. 



The very decided stimulus to apple planting which began in 1910 was 

 a general one in all areas of the state excepting Coos County. Of 

 tliose counties situated within the more favorable fruit areas, Merri- 

 mack appears to have shown the least increase during this 15-year 

 l)criod. This, however, is apparentlj^ due not to the fact that orchard 

 jilanting has been neglected in Merrimack Count}' but rather to the 

 fact that planting commenced in that county ten or more years earlier 

 than in the others. Thus we find that 38 per cent of the trees in Mer- 

 limack County are between 15 and 30 years of age, a much larger pro- 

 jiortion of trees of this age than is found in any other county. 



Nearly 93 per cent of all the trees in Grafton County are under 15 

 years of age. This is a much higher proportion than in any other 

 county and is due to the presence of one or two large commercial or- 

 chards in a section where there are otherwise very few trees. 



Sullivan, Carroll, Cheshire, Rockingham and Hillsborough counties 



