COST OF PRODUCING APPLES WESTERN NEW YORK. 



11 



ever, made up about one-third of the estimated land and improve- 

 ment investment. 



The average investment per acre for crop land and for apple 

 orchards was the highest in Orleans County and the lowest in 

 Ontario. 



YIELDS. 



Figures on yields were obtained from each grower covering a 

 period of six years, 1910 to 1915, inclusive. Table VI shows the 

 average yields in barreled and culled fruit and per cent that each 

 class is of the total yield. Considering all counties, 24 per cent of 

 the total yield was culls, and 76 per cent, or 81 barrels per acre, 

 was packed fruit. The packed barrel yield, as reported, is affected 

 by the method of sorting and packing. Some growers sort and 

 pack more closely than others, and often much of the fruit which 

 the grower might put in a barrel would be culled by another. 



Table VI. — Showing barreled and cull yields per acre and per cent that each 

 is of the total yield (218 farms, western New York, 1910-1915, inclusive). 





Records. 



Barreled yield. 



Cull yield (barrels). 



Counties. 



Per acre. 



Per cent 

 of total 

 yield. 



Per acre. 



Per cent 

 of total 

 yield. 





44 

 42 

 47 

 50 

 35 



73.2 

 93.3 

 85.3 



67 

 79 



78 



36.6 

 24.3 

 24.0 

 26.6 

 22.2 



33 





21 





22 



Orleans 



86. 8 77 

 81.4 , 79 



23 



Niagara 



21 





218 



84. 1 76 



26.9 



24 











Most of the apples were packed by the farmers themselves. Usually 

 two or three grades were made. The apples which were not barreled 

 were hauled either to a drier or cider mill. 



There were some variations in what the individual growers con- 

 sidered a No. 1 or No. 2 apple. Wayne County growers show the 

 smallest barreled yield, and the largest per cent of culls. The busi- 

 ness of drying apples has long been established in this county and 

 not many years ago it was the custom to dry most of the fruit. 

 Many growers still dry much fruit which might, in other counties, 

 appear as barreled fruit. The total yield for this county is some- 

 what below the average yield for the other lake counties. Ontario 

 County is a little outside of the limits of the most intensive apple- 

 growing belt. A few years ago a considerable amount of fruit from 

 this county was sold in bulk. To-day a much greater percentage is 

 packed in barrels. However, the majority of growers have not been 

 as careful in packing as have the men in the lake counties. This 

 was one reason for the comparatively high yield reported, 



