According to the United States census, the wheat acreage of 

 Frederick County increased from 1879 to 1899 and then began to 

 decline. In 1924 there were only 15,982 acres of wheat compared to 

 31,907 acres in 1899. Much of this decrease took place during the 

 period 1919 to 1924, for the acreage declined from 25,125 in 1919 to 

 15,982 in 1924 (Table 2). The corn acreage declined from 24,345 

 acres in 1899 to 21,124 acres in 1919 and then to 14,743 acres in 1924. 

 From 1889 to 1924 the hay acreage varied somewhat, the highest 

 acreage being reported in 1924. The number of bearing apple 

 trees, on the other hand, has shown a decided increase. Besides the 

 wheat and corn land given over to apple trees much land is now 

 planted to orchard that has been considered too rough for general 

 farming. Figures on the acreage of orchard in Frederick County 

 for the census years are not available but based on an estimate of 40 

 trees to the acre, the following acreage in bearing apple orchards 

 for the different census dates is estimated: In 1889, 2,183 acres; 

 in 1899, 4,822 acres; in 1909, 6,831 acres; in 1919, 14,165 acres; 

 and in 1924, 16,140 acres. 



Figures for the census years 1880 to 1920 indicate that while there 

 have been changes in the numbers of the various classes of livestock 

 in Frederick County from one census date to another, these changes 

 have not been of unusual significance. All livestock figures for the 

 1925 census of Frederick County are not available, but up to 1920 

 chickens raised had increased from 96,459 in 1890 to 147,667 in 1910 

 and then decreased to 123,155 in 1920. The 1880 census shows 10,869 

 hogs on farms in Frederick County, the 1900 census shows 16,636, 

 the 1920 census shows 14,638, and a preliminary estimate for 1925 

 shows 9,143 head of hogs. Sheep have declined from the high point 

 of 13,898 head in 1880 to 7,193 head in 1920. All cattle varied 

 somewhat from year to year, with a total of 9,824 head in 1880 and a 

 total (preliminary) of 9,233 in 1925. The production of eggs increased 

 from 167,740 dozens in 1880 to 567,344 dozens in 1920. The pro- 

 duction of milk has varied somewhat for census years but has usually 

 been somewhat above 1,250,000 gallons. 



TYPES OF FARMING IN FREDERICK COUNTY 



As apple orcharding is the outstanding new enterprise in Frederick 

 County, it is interesting to note the principal characteristics that 

 differentiate the operation of the orchard farm from the older general 

 type of farms. The five-year average (1916-1920) business sum- 

 maries for the three classes of farms, as previously defined, are given 

 in Table 3. 



The general farms, on which less than 25 per cent of the receipts 

 was from apples, averaged 168 acres in size and were valued at an 

 average of $22,145. This class of farms paid the operators an average 

 of $235 for their labor after 5 per cent was taken from the net returns 

 as interest on the total sales value of the farm. 



The mixed farms, or those farms on which 25 to 75 per cent of 

 the total receipts was from apples, averaged 176 acres in size and 

 were valued at an average of $27,835. These farms, over the five 

 years, returned an average of $618 annually to the operators in 

 addition to 5 per cent on the average farm value. 



The orchard farms, or those farms having 75 per cent or more of 

 their total farm receipts from apples, were 137 acres in size and were 



