10 BULLETIN 851, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



AGE OF TREES. 



Orchards visited in this study average 40 years old. Table V- 

 shows the number of orchards of different ages. Perhaps 85 to 90 

 per cent of the orchards in these counties are over 20 years of age, 

 and there are many profitable orchards over 50 years of age. The 

 number of years that a western New York apple orchard will live and 

 produce profitable crops has not been clearly determined. How- 

 ever, there is reason to believe that the average western New York 

 apple orchard reaches its maximum yielding power when it is 

 between 40 and 50 years of age. This, of course, depends to a very 

 great extent on the variety of apples, the type and condition of the 

 soil, and the kind of care which the trees receive. 



TREES PER ACRE AND THE METHOD OF SETTING. 



The trees in many orchards of this region are set too close, and 

 most orchardists realize this fact. In the early clays of planting 

 many of the orchards were set 30 by 30 feet or less. Practically all 

 of the early orchards were set on the square. Within the past few 

 years it has been the plan to plant such standard varieties as Baldwin 

 and Rhode Island Greenings 40 to 50 feet apart and interset these 

 with either peaches or earlier bearing apples such as Wealthy, 

 Gravenstein, Oldenburg, Alexander, and Twenty Ounce. When the 

 peaches have fulfilled their mission or when the interset apples begin 

 to interfere with the standard varieties they are removed. The 

 apple orchards considered in this investigation averaged 35 trees per 

 acre. 



VARIETIES. 



The Baldwin stands first in output among the appies grown in 

 western New York. This variety constitutes from 50 per cent to 60 

 per cent of the apples grown. The Rhode Island Greening ranks 

 second. 



The apples grown here are classified commercially into summer, 

 fall, and winter varieties. The principal summer and fall varieties 

 are Oldenburg, Wealthy, Gravenstein, Alexander. Twenty Ounce, 

 and Hubbardston, while the principal winter varieties are Baldwin, 

 Rhode Island Greening, Northern Spy, Roxbury, Tompkins King, 

 and Ben Davis. Several other varieties are grown, but these do not 

 materially affect the commercial market. 



ORCHARD INVESTMENT. 



An estimate of the value of the bearing apple orchard on the 

 farm was obtained from each farmer. The average investment per 

 acre for the orchards here considered was about $500. There was 

 some little variation in the value of land. The apple orchard, how- 



