Alarch, 1934] Studies in Economics of Apple Orcharding 25 



By growing beans this operator added approximately $160 to his net 

 income. Of course more work is done. The operator may be flailing 

 beans on a winter day instead of reading and visiting. 



On another farm about three acres of snap beans were grown between 

 the trees in the young orchard. The work on beans did not seriously 

 compete with orcharding. The seeding, cultivating and hoeing could be 

 done between sprays, and the picking was finished before apple harvest. 

 Even if treated as an independent major crop, the undertaking was 

 profitable except in one bad blight year. 

 Potatoes: 



The operator of one of the farms produced about two acres of potatoes 

 each year. The harvesting of potatoes and apples would seriously conflict 

 on most farms. This operator, however, was able to handle both crops, 

 using the same crew. He usually harvested beans and sweet corn and 

 some of the potatoes between the Wealthy and Baldwin harvest, and then 

 completed the digging of potatoes immediately after the Baldwins were 

 out of the way. 



The work of planting, cultivating and spraying potatoes was so fitted 

 into the slack periods of the apple program that no extra help was 

 required. 



Based on assumed rates of pay for labor employed on potatoes, the 

 profit was negligible ; but since much of the labor was available anyway, 

 the influence of this crop on income can best be shown by observing the 

 additional returns and additional expenses, which, for the 3 years were 

 roughly as follows : 

 Added gross income from growing potatoes : 



Sale of 400 bushels of potatoes $400 



Additional out-of-pocket costs : 



Seed, 36 bushels @ $1.50 $54 



FertiHzer, 2 tons @ $40 80 



Spray material, $14 14 



Additional labor in harvesting 40 



Rent of planter (estimated) 10 



198 



Additional income from growing potatoes $202 



Since little stock was kept, the loss of two acres of hay each year is 

 insignificant ; in fact, over a period of years the heavy fertilization for 

 potatoes probably means increased total harvest of hay. For the added 

 net income of $200 a year, the operator, of course, works harder, has less 

 free time ; his regular man does more work, and the horses do more work. 

 Whether this is advisable is an individual problem. Potato production 

 would not work out so well on any other farm of this group. 

 Timber: 



On one considerably diversified farm the operator felt that six regular 

 men were necessary to operate the orchard and that it was best to employ 

 them for the entire year. By planning in advance, a timber lot within 2 

 or 3 miles was cut each year, and the logs and wood were hauled to 

 market. 



In Figure 11 the shaded area indicates how well this system used the 

 available labor. In December, January, February and March, roughly 



