Farm-Management Phases of Apple-Growing 137 



old. These failures do not necessarily argue against the 

 regions themselves but against specialized farming with too 

 little capital in sections not adapted to that type of enter- 

 prise. 



The Bitter Boot Valley, Montana, one of the finest gen- 

 eral farming, grain and stock localities, is hardly adapted 

 to specialized fruit-growing. Of localities in the United 

 States probably best adapted to high specialization in ap- 

 ples are the Wenatchee and Yakima valleys, Washington, 

 Hood River Valley, Oregon, and Pajaro Valley, Califor- 

 nia. There are sections in the East where specialized ap- 

 ple-growing may be justified even to the extent of ignor- 

 ing all other types of farming. However, it must- be con- 

 ceded that some diversification is usually advisable for 

 the man with limited capital. 



A third type of farm organization is common in non- 

 commercial districts, and even in the heart of such com- 

 mercial regions in New York and the central west states. 

 This third type is seen on the general farm where the 

 orchard is of secondary importance, too large for a family 

 or home orchard, yet too small and poorly cultivated to 

 be classed as commercial. In practice, orchards, when 

 made a secondary or an incidental enterprise, are seldom 

 a financial success. When orchards of this type are elim- 

 inated or put on a first-class commercial basis, the com- 

 mercial industry of the Central West and East will assume 

 new vigor. Production will be more standardized and will 

 enable eastern growers to hold their markets against fruit 

 from other regions. 



Semi-commercial orchards of this type, partly or wholly 

 neglected, occur on thousands of farms in the East to-day. 

 A visit to Genesee or Oswego County, New York, will 



