20 



BULLETIN 1455, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUKE 



On the better yielding orchards of 50 acres or less of bearing 

 trees an average of 10.9 days of preharvest labor was used per till- 

 able acre, whereas on the lower yielding orchards in the same size 

 group only 7.2 days of labor per tillable acre was used before harvest. 

 The better yielding farms, therefore, used about 55 per cent more 

 preharvest labor per tillable acre than did the poorer yielding farms. 



Of the larger orchards (over 50 acres of bearing trees) those having 

 a yield in excess of 40 barrels per acre used an average of 8.3 days of 

 labor per tillable acre before harvest. Those with yields of less than 

 40 barrels per acre used 5.5 days, or an average of 2.8 days per till- 

 able acre less than the higher yielding group. There was a decided 

 difference in the value of the equipment on these farms, the better 

 yielding orchards in each size group having nearly double the value 

 of machinery of the poorer yielding orchards. As previously shown 

 (Table 19), the larger and higher yielding orchards returned the 

 higher incomes. 



A part of the higher incomes of the better yielding orchards in 

 each size group may be due to age of trees, varieties of apples, loca- 

 tion of orchards, and a number of other causes, but it seems evident 

 that much of the success of the better orchards may be attributed to 

 the better care of the soil and trees. The better yielding orchards 

 received a greater amount of labor and materials in spraying, fer- 

 tilizing, and pruning than did the less productive orchards. These 

 greater expenditures apparently resulted in increased yields of fruit 

 that paid well during the years of the survey. 



Examples of differences in orchard management were found in the 

 practices attending the utilization of interplanted crops. Where 

 crops were interplanted in the orchard and removed the yield of 

 apples was markedly lower than the yields of orchards where the 

 interplanted crops were left on the land. There was an average of 

 22 acres of interplanted crops in the 48 orchards; 64 per cent of the 

 area of interplanted crops was harvested and the crops removed 

 while the crops on the remaining 36 per cent of the interplanted were 

 left on the soil. Where interplanting was practiced it was seldom 

 that such practice applied to the whole orchard in any year. A rota- 

 tion in which sod usually followed the interplanted crop for a period 

 of two years was a common practice. In some instances inter- 

 planting was practiced only for the purpose of renewing the sod. 



Table 21. — Interplanted cropping practices and relative yields of apples, 48 orchard 

 farms; average for 1916-1920 





Yield of 

 packed 

 apples 

 per acre 



Orchard 

 farms 



Interplanted crops in orchards 



Average 

 yield per 



Size of orchard 



Total 



Crops removed 



Crops left 

 land 



on 



acre 

 packed 

 apples 



50 acres or less of bearing 



trees. 

 Over 50 acres of bearing 



trees. 



Barrels 



/40 or less 



\Over40 



/40 and less-- 

 \Over40 



44 _. 



Number 

 17 

 13 



11 



Acres 

 19 

 14 

 22 

 39 



Acres 

 15 

 8 

 19 

 17 



Per cent 

 79 

 57 

 86 

 44 



Acres 

 4 

 6 

 3 

 22 



Per cent 

 21 

 43 

 14 

 56 



Barrels 

 31 

 57 

 35 

 53 





48 



22 



14 



64 



8 





36 



44 



ing trees. 







