20 BULLETIN 29, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



managed orchards may be expected to do much better, of course. 

 From 13 to 14 baskets may be expected from a well-managed orchard 

 on red soil and 15 to 18 on chert soil. 



ESTIMATED PROFITS. 



The units of cost summarized in the tables and the average yields 

 which may be expected during the life of an orchard furnish a basis 

 for estimating profits. 



If 10 baskets of peaches are assumed to be the average yield of a 

 tree during its life under average conditions of management on 

 smooth red-shale land, the total cost of these 10 baskets may be 

 stated as shown in Table IV. 



It must be taken into account that the figures given in the table 

 are based on average conditions of management, which, of course, are 

 not as efficient as the conditions assumed in orchards which are de- 

 scribed in the pages following. 



Table IV. — Cost of -peaches, per tree and per basket, on smooth red-shale land in West 

 Virginia, assuming a 10-basket yield during the life of the tree. 



Items of expense. 



Per 

 basket. 



Cost of tree until bearing stage ' 



Cost of routine operating expenses, 35 cents per tree for 10 years. 

 Cost of handling and packing baskets of peaches during 10 years. 



Total cost 



3.50 

 2.00 



$0.08 

 .35 

 .20 



6.30 



.63 



1 The cost of bringing the tree to the bearing stage does not include the original cost of land and equip- 

 ment. These items are assumed to be worth at the end of the period the original cost. Thus, the inter- 

 est alone on this amount would affect the cost of the tree. 



This would make the cost of growing peaches during the period of 

 10 years 63 cents per basket. It may be doubted whether the peaches 

 grown under such average conditions as are assumed could be ex- 

 pected to bring more than 63 cents per basket. The average price 

 according to the record given is 67 cents per basket. Based on such 

 a price, the average net profit would be 4 cents per basket, or 40 cents 

 per tree for the period. 



A particular orchard on smooth red-shale land, operated in the 

 manner specified in this bulletin and having more efficient manage- 

 ment, may be expected to give a larger average yield and peaches of 

 better quality, thus commanding a better price. Such an orchard 

 now being operated will have yielded at the end of the period, if the 

 past rate of production continues, 13.8 baskets of fruit per tree. The 

 costs of this orchard, allowing $1,200 per year for the manager (this 

 item is not counted in the first estimate), would appear about as 

 shown in Table V. 



