5 o Annals of Horticulture. 



are found. Consequently the yields are larger and more fre- 

 quent, so that the growers of the district can say : "If the 

 Bohnapfel yield well we are satisfied, even though the field 

 crops have not yielded a good harvest." Thus we see that 

 fruit culture in the above district is more important than gen- 

 eral agriculture, and its value is thoroughly appreciated. The 

 question may arise, how low the price of fruit may fall and 

 the industry still be a profitable one. The answer is influenced 

 by the value of the land as well as by the climate and soil: 

 probably it would be safe to say that under ordinary circum- 

 stances and with average yields as given above, the price of 

 3 marks per cwt. is sufficient to make fruit culture profitable. 

 In this estimate no account is taken of the decided influence 



careful cultivation. The frequency of good yields can in this 



The high rates charged by railroads for the transportation 

 of fruit deserves serious consideration, for it often happens 

 that good crops are obtained in one part of the country while 

 in distant provinces the vields may be total failures. A few 

 \ ears ago the fruit crop in eastern Prussia was excellent, and 

 the sin plus would have commanded good prices in southern 



and wine merchants from Wnrttemberg took steps for the pur- 

 chase of the fruit product of eastern Prussia, but they were 

 prevented from coming to any agreement with the Prussian 

 dealers because the freight "to Wnrttemberg would have 

 amounted to fully as much as the price of the fruit. Low 

 freight rates would very much increase the shipments of fruit 



