Importance and History of the Apple Industry 9 



$3,500 an acre. The price for raw land reached $500 

 to $1,000 an acre. A reaction in prices followed this 

 period of heavy planting and the country is just now 

 recovering from the effects of the boom. 



While once suffering from inflation, such districts as 

 Yakima, Hood River, Wenatchee and other well known 

 valleys have been and will remain as centers of production. 

 Unfortunately, however, a large acreage of land unsuited 

 to commercial production was set to trees and exploited 

 as apple land, with disastrous results to investors. 

 Projects including thousands of acres of land were laid 

 out and planted to trees in some states only to fall into 

 entire neglect. Thus far there has never been any con- 

 certed movement toward actually pulling out trees. How- 

 ever, to the same effect, many trees receive little or in- 

 different care and never attain full commercial bearing. 

 This is the principle which tends to limit production. 

 Growers slip behind, omit cultivation and spraying and 

 other necessary cultural operations, with the result that 

 their orchards will not produce commercial fruit. It is 

 for this reason that census figures, giving mere number of 

 trees, are very often misleading and need careful analysis 

 without which the industry may be led into periods of 

 over- and under-planting. 



Favorable factors. 



It is often asked by those who contemplate setting an 

 apple orchard whether it will be a good business proposi- 

 tion or whether there will be over-production in the years 

 to come. A definite reply is impossible. However, a 

 careful study of these points, in the light of present facts 



