THE APPLE INDUSTRY IN FREDERICK COUNTY, VA. 



29 



their bearing orchards, and as a result profits were low during the 

 period of the survey. Since orcharding is a rather new enterprise 

 on some of these farms, the growers have had little means of knowing 

 from personal experience just how much cash and equipment were 

 needed per acre to handle an orchard. Their idea of how many acres 

 they could plant and take good care of has not always been correct, 

 with the result that some have more orchard than they can take 

 good care of with present facilities. 



Table 23. — Net cost, selling price, and net return per barrel of apples; average for 



1916-1920 



Item 



1916 



1917 



1918 



1919 



1920 



Dolls. 



Dolls. 



Dolls. 



Dolls. 



Dolls. 



1.53 



2.48 



2.88 



3.78 



3.70 



2.58 



3.31 



4.26 



5.10 



3.75 



.06 



.15 



.06 



.22 



.24 



2.52 



3.16 



4.20 



4.88 



3.51 



.99 



.68 



1.32 



1.10 



» -.19 



Average, 

 1916-1920 



Net cost per barrel 



Selling price per barrel 



Storage price per barrel — 



Net selling price per barrel 



Difference 



Dolls. 

 2.87 

 3.80 

 .15 

 3.65 

 .78 



i Cost per barrel above selling price. 



The increased expenditures per acre in the case of the higher yield- 

 ing orchards was good economy, measured in returns per acre. On 

 the smaller orchards (50 acres or less) of higher yields, production costs 

 were $54.35 per acre greater than on the lower yielding orchards 

 but the yield was 57 barrels of graded apples on the better yielding 

 orchards as compared to 31 barrels on the lower yielding orchards. 

 This increase in yield resulted in lower production costs per barrel 

 of graded fruit, the difference being 77 cents per barrel in favor 

 of the higher yielding orchards. The same tendencies, although 

 less striking, were noted on the larger orchards. 



SIZE OF ORCHARD, YIELD PER ACRE, AND COST OF PRODUCTION 



As a general rule an increase in either or both of the size of orchard 

 and yield per acre resulted in a decreased cost per barrel during this 

 period. (See Table 24.) The 11 orchards of over 50 acres of bearing 

 trees that produced more than 40 barrels of packed apples per acre 

 had an average cost of $2.54 per barrel over the years 1916 through 

 1920. The small orchards, on the other hand, that had less than 50 

 acres in bearing trees and produced 40 barrels or less per acre had an 

 average cost per barrel of $3.58 during the same years. Yield prob- 

 ably had a greater influence than any other single factor on the cost 

 of a barrel of apples, but size of orchard appeared to have some 

 influence. 



The principal advantage of the larger orchards and the higher 

 yielding orchards over the smaller and lower producing orchards 

 was found in the lower overhead and fixed-production costs per barrel. 

 Depreciation in buildings and equipment continues in much the same 

 proportions, whether they are used to their full capacities or are only 

 partially utilized. Maintenance of work horses is almost the same, 

 whether these horses are used rather steadily throughout the year 

 or are allowed to stand idle part of the season for lack of productive 

 work. Apparently the orchards of large size and orchards of high 

 yield benefited by a better distribution of labor and a greater volume 

 of production over which to distribute their overhead and fixed 

 charges. 



