The Farm Plan 25 



and items into a consistent business procedure, or to sub- 

 divide it into its parts. Merely to raise fruit is not the end 

 and consummation of fruit-growing. The raising of the 

 fruit is a part in an enterprise, and this enterprise should 

 make the best use of capital and of labor and equipment, 

 and it should secure the greatest results with the least 

 expenditure of effort. In other words, the enterprise 

 should be economically efficient. 



Fruit-growing is preferably one part — perhaps the 

 leading part — of a farm scheme; but usually it should not 

 comprise the entire farm scheme. Farm-management 

 studies have shown that the most profitable fruit-growing 

 is often that which is combined with general farming. 



The general farm, with liberal parts of it devoted to 

 crops other than fruit, provides economical use of men, 

 teams, and equipment for the larger part of the year, as 

 also a stimulating variety in work. It also enables the 

 fruit-grower to produce much or all of the feed and bed- 

 ding for his work animals, as well as many supplies for 

 his family; it insures him against years of failure in the 

 fruit crop. 



On the other hand, too much general farming directly 

 detracts from the fruit-growing part of the business. Oats 

 and potatoes must be planted at a certain time, but the 

 orchards may wait. What one gains in the raising of 

 feed and other supplies, may be more than lost in the 

 neglect of the fruit-plantations. Years may be required 

 to repair the damage accruing from one or two seasons of 

 neglect to the orchard, with the stunted growth, lack of 

 pruning, neglect of spraying, injuries from borers, and 

 other disabilities, although this damage may not be im- 

 mediately expressed in dollars and cents. Where the happy 

 mean shall be drawn between a business devoted too 



