COST OF PKODUCING APPLES IK WESTERN COLORADO. 



13 



In Montrose County the orchards are practically all on the mesa 

 lands, the most important of which is Spring Creek Mesa. Ash and 

 California Mesa also have a small amount of fruit. 



SIZE OF ORCHARDS. 



The size of the bearing orchards found on farms varies greatly, the 

 extremes of the records in Mesa being 2 and 27 acres, the majority 

 being between 5 and 10 acres. In Delta the variation was from 

 3 to 45 acres, the majority being between 6 and 15 acres, and in 

 Montrose from 5 to 40 acres, and an average of between 10 and 15 



Fig. 4.— A 15-year-old Ben Davis orchard in full bearing located on Spring Creek Mesa, Montrose 

 County. Note the vigorous growth of these trees which have been heavily manured. This orchard 

 has always been clean cultivated. 



acres. Of young apple trees there was an average acreage per farm 

 of 3.5, 4.94, and 3.56 acres, respectively, in Mesa, Delta, and Mon- 

 trose Counties. 



AGE OF ORCHARDS. 



The orchards from which records were taken were fairly uniform 

 in age, averaging 17| years in Mesa, 17 in Delta, and 16 1 in Mont- 

 rose. Practically all were between the ages of 12 and 20 years. 

 There are, however, many orchards older than 20 years, but these 

 are not the commercial orchards and are usually of small acreage. 

 At the time of this investigation there were practically none over 30 

 years of age. 



