March, 1934] Studies ix Economics of Apple Orcharding 31 



In contrast with this, the orchardist now need not plow at all, but 

 merely spread fertilizer, mow the grass and mulch around the trees. The 

 containers tor his fruit will be trucked to his barn by the box-maker, and 

 trucking firms will take the a])ples from his yard. He may choose, in fact, 

 to let some other agency grade and pack the apples, thus enabling him to 

 concentrate on the production of apples and therefore handle a larger 

 unit. 



It is evidently impossible to adjust an orchard perfectly to a size that 

 is most economical for one man, two men, or three men to operate. 

 Alethods change faster than the trees can grow. More often capital and 

 the extent of available land determine the size of orchard than any con- 

 scious eiTort on the part of the owner to provide employment for a cer- 

 tain number of men. The adjustment is obtained generally by a greater 

 or lesser degree of diversification with annual crops, or by varying the in- 

 tensity of care which the orchard receives. 



Equipment costs per unit of production are no doubt lower in the ex- 

 tensive orchard of 100 acres or more. Thus, one may estimate the annual 

 costs for interest, depreciation and repairs and find the total maintenance 

 costs of a 16 HP sprayer to be about $300 per year. This includes a sup- 

 ply tank to keep it filled, and a proportionate share of the costs of main- 

 taining a tractor to haul it. Such an outfit is adequate for an orchard of 

 perhaps 100 acres of mature trees, and on this basis the cost per tree is 

 about $0.12 per year. A somewhat smaller machine, tractor drawn, cap- 

 able of spraying a maximum of 50 acres wMthin a three to five-day 

 period, would cost perhaps $0.17 per tree per year. These estimates are 

 based on rather arbitrary asssumptions as to the life of a sprayer and the 

 cost of repairs, but beyond doubt they illustrate the trend in costs. On a 

 similar basis, a 4 HP sprayer, horse drawn, and used on the maximum 

 acreage which it can safely spray would cost in the neighborhood of $0.28 

 per tree per year. Of course, the use of any of these machines on orchards 

 smaller than the maximum they are capable of covering increases the 

 overhead cost per tree materially. 



In addition to savings on overhead costs, less labor is needed with the 

 larger spraying machines. However, materials are about the same in all 

 cases, and since these constitute a large item, the total cost per tree or per 

 bushel, including equipment, labor and supplies, is not so different as to 

 preclude orcharding on a moderate scale. The increased costs for the 

 smaller units do not constitute an insurmountable obstacle. 



The owner of a large orchard may be able to own equipment such as 

 storage plants, grading machinery, which the smaller orchardist cannot in- 

 stall without incurring undue overhead costs. Cold storage facilities on 

 the farm make it possible to pick and pack the crop with a small crew 

 operating over a long season, with resultant gains in skill and efficiency. 

 Most small farms can afford common storage ; this will accomplish much 

 the same result, except that fall varieties like Mcintosh cannot be held late 

 in the season. If there is any infestation with railroad worm, getting the 

 fruit quickly into cold storage, which checks development of the pest, is 

 imperative. Frequently, cold storage and packing equipment are owned 

 co-operatively, but usually this takes certain services out of the hands of 

 the grower and does not give him and the members of his family a longer 



