Farm-Management Phases of Apple-Growing 143 



form of the above is seen when the owner furnishes half 

 of the picking labor and half of all labor and material 

 costs incident to the harvesting of the fruit, taking one- 

 half of the crop, but allowing the tenant entire supervision 

 of the orchard operations. 



A study of an equitable basis for tenantry has revealed 

 that when the tenant is furnishing all the labor he is en- 

 titled to a larger proportion of the crop in years of exceed- 

 ingly heavy production. Otherwise the owner reaps prac- 

 tically all the benefits of a large crop. Unfortunately, 

 low prices prevail in heavy crop years. With straight 

 share rentals in such years, the owner obtains a large 

 amount of fruit which even at low prices makes good re- 

 turns. If the tenant, however, receives low prices for his 

 fruit, he has insufficient margin to cover the heavy ex- 

 penditure in harvesting the landlord's portion of the 

 crop. Some division of the labor and handling costs at 

 harvest time would seem more equitable. 



Occasionally a long-term cash lease at a reasonable figure 

 can be secured on somewhat run-down orchards in a fav- 

 orable locality. Frequently such an orchard is making 

 little or no returns and a cash offer will be attractive to the 

 owner. For the experienced man with little capital, a 

 long-term lease with a view to building up and increasing 

 the yields from such an orchard sometimes proves a profit- } 

 able venture, particularly when the owner considers that 

 his orchard will be improved and for such a reason grants 

 an otherwise low cash rental figure. Some special induce- 

 ment must be offered to a tenant, otherwise he can not 

 afford to devote his best energy towards building up a suc- 

 cessful orchard from which another will reap the ultimate 

 reward. 



