CONFERENCE OF OOVERNORS. 17 



unproductive, — it is often worse than unproductive. It harborfe- 

 weeds and unworthy forest trees; provides breeding ground iSr 

 noxious insects; it discourages the settler; it injures forestry and 

 fruit growing; it diverts the attention of would-be orchardists to 

 the cleared areas in the west, and draws our young naen to other 

 lands. Much of this land is admirably adapted to apple culture, 

 and this is the zone of the place of origin of our greatest commer- 

 cial apples, the Massachusetts Baldwin and the Rhode Island 

 Greening. The escape from this condition means the planting 

 of new orchards. But the planting and care of these orchards must 

 partake of the spirit of the new horticulture. They must be of 

 approved varieties, planted, cultivated, pruned, sprayed and fed in 

 a rational manner, and the product handled on business principles. 



/. Commercial Orcharding. 



The apple is the safest and most profitable orchard crop in New 

 England. There are those who believe in this so thoroughly that 

 they are spending as much as $150 per acre on the clearing of 

 rocky wooded hillsides and hilltops for the reception of apple 

 trees. But there is an abundance of land available in Xew England 

 without the necessity of expending this large sum. It is worth 

 while, in this connection, to examine the successes and failures 

 which have followed orcharding in different parts of the country. 

 Such an examination will give us courage to venture and advise. 



Does commercial apple orcharding pay? There is no question 

 that larger profits may be secured from apple growing than is 

 possible from any of the so-called hardy orchard fruits. In Wayne 

 County, New York, there are more than 20,000 acres of apple 

 orchards. The product of these orchards is divided between the 

 evaporators and purchasers of barreled stock. In this country, 

 where there is no special premium for high-grade stock, the gross 

 income falls to $40 per acre, with a minimum expenditure. Of 

 course this includes more men who do not spray than men who do 

 spray; hence the low average. In Orleans County, New York, 

 where a large proportion of the apples are barreled and go into 

 domestic and export trade, the average income of the growers 

 for five years, from 1900 to 1904 inclusive, was $111 per acre. 

 It must be borne in mind that in this average is included the 

 poor cultivator and the non-sprayer, as well as the diligent and 

 progressive. The actual figures for Orleans County are as fol- 

 lows : — 



