404 THE APPLE 



was not at all promising. Indeed, it was questionable whether 

 he could ever get any fruit from it! The orchard had practically 

 been abandoned and its only recognized value locally was the 

 amount of stove wood it contained. Before properly breaking up 

 the soil, it was necessary to grub and bush-hook the entire orchard 

 to rid it of the blackberry bushes, sumach, and other growth which 

 completely covered the ground. In fact, there seemed to be more 

 truth than poetry in the advice one of Dr. Lattin's neighbors gave 

 at the time the ground was being cleared preparatory to plowing. 

 "Well, doctor," he remarked, "it is none of my business what you 

 do with your money ; but take my advice — cut down the apple 

 trees for firewood and raise blackberries. The financial returns 

 will surely be greater." The number of large, old, broken-down 

 limbs was so great that before the teams could be worked in the 

 orchard, two strong, active men had to spend two days with a cross- 

 cut saw dropping the branches to the ground so that they might 

 be removed. This orchard was plowed in November, 1905, and 

 was thoroughly and — according to the onlookers — recklessly 

 pruned during the following winter. The pruning expense alone 

 exceeded 50 cents a tree. The crop from this orchard during the 

 previous five years had totaled less than 300 barrels. Dr. Lattin 

 marketed fruit from this orchard as follows : 



Six-year average, 376 barrels, and the annual returns have averaged 

 $996.52. 



It may be of interest to state that the success in reclaiming this 

 old orchard was a big prop to the faith with which some of the 

 most unpromising Oswego County orchards were attacked. 



The average annual yield an acre from all the Orleans County 

 apple orchards has been 1 1 7 barrels ; the average annual returns 

 an acre for the series of years, $326 ; the average annual returns 

 per tree, $8.15 ; and the average annual net profit per acre, in 

 round numbers, approximately $150.00. The average price per 

 barrel realized from the sale (19 10 included) was $2.47, and the 

 average price for culls 23 cents a bushel. 



