2 BULLETIN 29, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
A great waste of resources has been sustained in gaining this experi- 
ence. One large orchard company alone estimated its losses during 
the past 21 years, due to inexperience and lack of knowledge of peach 
erowing in this section, at $100,000. The loss for the same reason 
for more than a century to small farmers carrying on the industry can 
hardly be estimated. This loss has been due (1) to a lack of knowledge 
of the control of fungous diseases and insect pests; (2) to a lack of 
knowledge of the natural and economic advantages necessary in 
selecting the orchard site, such as soil and weather conditions, ena- 
bling one to avoid expensive methods of control; and (3) to inex- 
perience in methods of management. 
At the present time there is great interest in orchard enterprises, 
and many seem to be led to invest their savings in them with no 
knowledge whatever of the factors which must inevitably determine 
the success of such enterprises. Such may have an opportunity to 
profit by the principles worked out by past experience. 
The fact is emphasized in this bulletin that the specific operations 
described in some detail are meant to explain the organization of 
the fruit farm and to determine costs and that they are not pre- 
sented to give information regarding the technical operations of fruit 
production. 
SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND METHOD OF INVESTIGATION. 
The facts and conclusions stated herein have been worked out from 
data obtained in a study of the history of orchards which have 
survived during the past 10 or 20 years and on several of which 
accurate financial records have been kept. These orchards are well 
distributed over the area described and are located on various soil 
types, mostly confined, however, to the red soils and “chert” soils. 
Some of these orchards have yielded large profits to the owners; 
some have probably not yet paid expenses after 8 or 10 years. 
Besides analyzing the financial records of these orchards, each one 
has been studied with reference to its location and to the various 
operations performed which are necessary to its maintenance and 
profit. Many of them have been visited at intervals during the past 
two years in order to become acquainted with the managers and to 
see the actual work as it was being carried on. This has been done 
to determine the causes of the large variation in the costs of operating 
expenses and to determine the limiting factors in the yield and quality 
of peaches, probably the most important facts from the standpoint 
of profit. 
A careful field study has been made of the soil, topography, and 
climatic conditions of this section, and the official data on these 
subjects have been analyzed and correlated with the field study. 
