THE APPLE INDUSTRY IN FREDERICK COUNTY, VA. 



23 



crops, was not so productive of good yields as the system which 

 provided for cover crops alone. Some of the best orchards used 

 alfalfa, soy beans, and clover as the predominant orchard crops. 

 The results obtained through such practice would indicate that a 

 much wider use of these crops by growers in the valley would be 

 warranted. Alfalfa seems to be a favored crop, and it recommends 

 itself because of its fertilizing value and because it produces several 

 crops in a season. If one crop is taken for hay the following crops 

 can be left on the soil (fig. 6). 



COST OF PRODUCING APPLES 



The production of graded apples is the final aim of these orchard 

 farmers. Apples were the source of 93 per cent of the total receipts. 

 The remainder of the receipts were more or less incidental to the 



6. — One of the best orchards on Apple Pie Ridge. The interplanted crops were not removed from 

 this orchard and it returned a good income 



production of apples — that is, usually they were from surpluses of 

 food and feed products sold. Therefore, all farm expenses, of what- 

 ever nature, were charged to the barreled-apple account, and any 

 receipts other than those for barreled apples were credited to the 

 apple account. In arriving at the cost of producing a barrel of apples 

 the total farm expense after reductions were made for miscellanous 

 receipts was divided by the total number of barrels of apples. 



In the analysis of the cost of producing apples the items of cost 

 are shown in one classification as cash and noncash costs and in 

 another classification as fixed and variable costs. Under these 

 general classifications the cost items were reclassified for the purpose 

 of showing the effect of yield and of size of orchard on the cost per 

 unit. In the cash and noncash classification of costs are shown those 

 expenses for labor, materials, upkeep, and overhead. 



