THE APPLE INDUSTRY IN FREDERICK COUNTY, VA. 



27 



Much of the variation in the cost of production among the several 

 orchards is due to different degrees of efficiency in management. A 

 measure of the efficiency of management may be found in the rela- 

 tionship of cost per barrel and quantity of production on the indi- 

 vidual farm to the average cost per barrel and the average quantity 

 of production on all farms. In nearly all instances where the costs 

 per barrel were below the average ($2.87) and the quantity of pro- 

 duction was above the average (44 barrels of packed apples per 

 acre) the growers made good returns on their investments in addition 



Range of Costs Per Barrel to 48 0rchardists 

 Near Winchester. Virginia 



COST 





1916-19 



20 ana 5-y 



Bar Average 











DOLLARS 

 16 



15 



)4 



13 



12 











• 





: 

























: 













: 







. 







: 







. 







10 

 9 

 8 

 7 

 6 

 5 

 4 

 3 



: 



. 











: 



















■ 







: 



• 





.. 



*. 









• 













. 



::: 







•• 







. 



:"• 





:. 





;• 



: 



... 



.::. 



::. 



*:: 



;••• 





:.. 



: 



.::. 



•::::• 







| • 













2 







. . 



>::::::::: 



.... 



::. 











O . 



: 













1916 



1917 



1918 



1919 



1920 



5-YR.AV. 



Fig. 



-During the five years of the study the cost of producing a barrel of apples varied on 

 individual farms from less than $1 to more than $15 per barrel 



to receiving good wages for their management and labor. A few 

 growers who produced at costs ranging somewhat above the average 

 cost of $2.87 still made good returns because, although their profit 

 per barrel of fruit was less than the average, they had large orchards 

 and their total profits were satisfactory. 



Production costs on some of the orchard farms varied widely from 

 the average cost because of lack of good balance in the factors of 

 production. The factors of production were out of balance in that 

 there was .too much orchard for the available labor and equipment. 

 In some instances the cost was much lower than the average, as was 

 the yield per acre, the low costs being possible under such conditions 



