16 



BULLETIN 518, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



methods of setting trees, but the usual way is to set on the diagonal, 

 24 by 24, 26 by 26, or 28 by 28 feet. The trees are not often crowded. 



CONDITION OF THE ORCHARDS. 



The condition of the 54 orchards studied was in general very good. 

 The foliage of some of them, however, was discolored and the trees 

 apparently lacked vigor. Such orchards were usually those under a 

 system of intensive clean cultivation and not irrigated. The orchards 

 considered were well cared for and of a fairly uniform type repre- 

 sentative of the commercial bearing orchards of the valley. 



YIELDS. 



The average yields from these orchards are considerably lower than 

 those of many of the irrigated sections. The average yield for the 

 54 orchards is 222 packed boxes per acre, or 3.08 boxes per tree. 

 This average covers, in general, a 5-year bearing period. For the 30 

 clean-culture orchards the yield is 218 packed boxes, and for the 

 orchards with a mulch crop, all of which are irrigated, there is a 

 yield of 228 packed boxes per acre. 



Table IV. — Hood River yields. 



Type of orchard. 



Number 



of or- 

 chards. 



Size of 

 orchard. 



Age of 

 orchard. 



Trees . 

 per acre. 



Yields 

 per acre. 



Yield 



per tree. 





30 

 24 



Acres. 

 12.25 

 12.70 



12 

 12 



72 

 72 



Boxes. 

 218 

 228 



Boxes. 

 3.03 





3.17 









54 



12.45 



12 



72 



222 



3.08 







The size of orchard apparently has a marked influence on the acre 

 yield. As will be seen from Table V, the smaller the orchard the 

 larger the yield per acre. As the number of trees per acre, is prac- 

 tically the same, regardless of size of orchard, the difference in yield 

 may be credited to the more intensive management of the smaller 

 orchards and the greater care which individual trees receive. 



Table V. — Yield, according to size of orchard, on farms studied. 



Type of orchard. 



Yield (in boxes) in orchards of each 

 specified size. 



Under 6 

 acres. 



6 to 10 

 acres. 



11 to 20 

 acres. 



Over 20 



acres. ■ 



Clean tillage cultivated 



262.6 

 299.1 



224.2 

 232.9 



206.9 

 215.0 



190.1 



Mulch crop 



202.9 







All orchards 



280.9 



227.7 



210.7 



196.5 







