COST OF PRODUCING APPLES WESTERN NEW YORK. 9 



years, and (4) corn. The following rotations are also found in com- 

 mon use throughout this area : 



(1) Oats, (2) wheat, (3) clover, (4) potatoes. 



(1) Oats, (2) wheat, (3) clover, (4) beans, (5) corn. 



(1) Wheat or rye, (2) clover, (3) beans, (4) corn or potatoes. 



Within the past few years, when weather conditions would permit, 

 many farmers have been following what seems to be probably the 

 most economical rotation to be used in the production of beans, 

 namely, (1) wheat, (2) clover, (3) beans. 



THE ORCHARDS. 



There is great variation in the type and j)resent condition of the 

 older bearing apple orchards of western Xew York. On this account, 

 in order to arrive at what was deemed a fair figure for cost of pro- 

 duction, it was necessary to select for study orchards of about the 

 same physical condition and age. This necessity eliminated from in- 

 vestigation many of the older orchards which had originally been set 

 so close that every other row or tree in the row had been removed, 

 those in which resets had been planted, and a few mixed orchards in 

 which there were other kinds of fruit trees with the apples. The 

 orchards selected for investigation were only those which were in 

 every way comparable and representative of normal conditions. 



Commercial orchards of the western New York district are gen- 

 erally well managed. The growers know the importance of constant 

 care in order to insure fair returns over a period of years. Past ex- 

 periences have taught them that neglect for a year or two may be 

 disastrous. 



SIZE OF ORCHARDS. 



Orchards in this area vary from the acre or acre-and-a-half family 

 orchard to the large commercial orchard containing 50 to 100 acres. 

 The average for the different counties, as covered in this survey, is 

 shown in Table III. As the farm increases in size there is a tendency 

 toward increased acreage in fruit. Some farms are devoted almost 

 exclusively to fruit. This condition, however, is the exception, and 

 farms of this type were not considered in this investigation. 



Table V. — Classification of records, according to age of hearing apple orchard 

 (218 farms, western New York). 



Groups. 



Number of 

 records. 



Ayerage 

 age. 





1 



18 

 28 

 37 

 • 47 

 56 

 61 



20 to 30 years 



36 



30 to 40 years 



105 



50 to 50 years 



50 to 60 years 



64 



8 



Oyer 60 years 



4 



162274°— 20— Bull. 851- 



