172 



ESTABLISHING THE ORCHARD 



TABLE 32 



Grades of Fruit in Percentage — 5-Year Average of Two Michigan: 

 Apple Orchards, Similar in All Respects Except Locations 

 on Different Soil Types * 



Orchard 



A 



B 



C 



Canner 



Under 



Bulk 



93 



45 



22 



20 



8 



4 





94 



24 



12 



58 



4 



2 





* V. R. Gardner, Proceedings N. Y. State Horticultural Society^ 1928. 



The New York State College of Agriculture has published 

 a study of factors affecting the incorae of apple growers. 

 Table 33 indicates the immense importance of the soil-drainage^ 

 factor in relation to labor income. The figures relate to an. 

 extensive area in Niagara County. Evidence at hand indicates^ 

 that the comparisons are valid elsewhere. On well-drained 

 soils the third of the farms having the largest apple enter- 

 prise averaged about 1000 apple trees of bearing age, which 

 was from 3 to 4 times as many trees per farm as the average 

 of the lower third. The labor income, that is what the farmer 

 had for his yearns work, averaged $1308. These farms paid 

 3 times as well as the smaller third with an average labor 

 income of $424. However, the smaller farms on well-drained 

 soils paid, on the average, better than farms with large 

 apple enterprises on soils not so well drained. 



Sweet cherries seem to thrive best on deep, rich loams of 

 the lighter types, sour cherries and plums on the somewhat 

 heavier loams. 



The nice adjustments of particular varieties to particular 

 soil types have not been thoroughly worked out. A red 

 variety will not color as well on the average, nor will fruit 

 mature as early in the season on a clay loam as on a lighter soil 

 type. The land should possess at least a fair measure of 

 fertility as judged by ordinary crop requirements and, unless 



