18 



BULLETIN 29, U. S. DEPABTMENT OF AGBICULTUBE. 



The cash value of land and equipment will be determined at that 

 time, but it may be assumed to be worth the original cost. The value 

 should not be less if the land has been cultivated and fertilized as speci- 

 fied in this bulletin. 



Table II summarizes the costs per acre and per tree of bringing a 

 peach orchard to the bearing stage at the end of 4 years of age and of 

 operating it after this time till 14 years of age, when it may be 

 expected to have lived its period of profitable existence. The condi- 

 tions specified relating to smooth land are clean cultivation, a cover 

 crop, thorough "worming 1 " and spraying, and $1,200 per year for 

 the manager. The size of the orchard is assumed to be 200 acres. 

 In the two columns at the right of the second part of the table the 

 costs of operating an orchard on chert lands are summarized. 



Table II. — Items of cost of bringing to bearing and operating a peach orchard in West 



Virginia? 



Item. 



Cost 

 per acre. 



Cost 

 per tree. 



BRINGING AN ORCHARD TO BEARING. 



Real estate: 



Land 



Equipment 



Cost of planting orchard: 



130 trees per acre, at 7 cents 



Planting trees (d3'namiting), at 5 cents 



Plowing and laying off, at $5 



Routine operating expenses: 



Interest on capital invested in land and planting of orchard, 4 years, at 6per cent 

 compound interest 



Cultivation and care of orchard, first year 



Cultivation and care of orchard for 3 years more until bearing state, at $20 per acre . 



Salary of manager, 4 years, at $1,200 per year 



Total investment, at 4 years 



$20.00 

 30.00 



9.10 

 6.50 

 5.00 



18.50 

 14.00 

 60.00 

 24.00 



$0. 1538 

 .2307 



.0700 

 .0500 

 .0385 



.1425 

 .1076 

 .4615 

 .1845 



187. 10 



1. 4391 



Units of Cost for Operating Expenses during Bearing Period of Peach Orchard. 



Item. 



Cultivation 



Cover crop 



Spraying for San Jose scale, 3 each year 



Spraying for fungous diseases and curculio 



Worming 



Interest on investment 



Interest on current expenses 



Fertilizer 



Taxes 



Losses on mules and horses 



Repairs 



Incidental expenses 



Manager, at $1,200 per year 



Total 



On smooth land. 



Cost 

 per acre. 



$10. 00 



2.00 



4.00 



M.OO 



3.00 



11.23 



1.25 



6.25 



.50 



.50 



1.00 



2.50 



6.00 



52.23 



Cost 

 per tree. 



$0. 0769 

 .0153 

 .0310 



* . 0310 

 .0230 

 .0864 

 .0096 

 .0480 

 .0038 

 .0038 

 .0076 

 .0192 

 .0462 



.4018 



On chert land. 



Cost 

 per acre. 



$15. 00 



5.00 



6.40 



3.00 



16.89 



1.50 



2.00 



.50 



.50 



1.50 



3.00 



6.00 



61.29 



Cost 

 per tree. 



$0. 1154 



.0385 

 .0410 

 .0230 

 .1300 

 .0114 

 .0154 

 .0038 

 .0038 

 .0114 

 .0230 

 .0462 



.4629 



i When the trees are "opened" at the base for the operation of "worming," it is recommended by some 

 experienced orchardists that they be gone over twice in order to find all the borers. 



' The cost of bringing an orchard to the bearing stage on chert land will be about $95 per acre more than 

 on smooth land, duo (1) to the higher price of land, (2) to the higher cost of cultivation, and (3) to the 

 higher cost of equipment for spraying. The estimated cost, including cost of land, is $281.50 per acre. 



s The chert lands are steep and stony and also high above the valley, where water in large quantities is 

 not immediately available for spraying. This water is usually lifted by machinery. Roads are built 

 about 200 feet apart in some orchards on which the spraying outfit is hauled. The trees are reached by 

 means of rubber hose 75 to 100 feet long. Spraying is thus more expensive in such orchards. 



1 Twice a year when fruiting, at $5 per aero during period. 



