CAPITAL 



585 



expenses require considerable capital as well as patience. The 

 time which must elapse between planting and bearing will vary 

 with the type and variety of fruit and with the location of the 

 orchard. 



Time Elapsing Between Planting and Bearing Stage of Common 



If the grower plants his own orchard, his capital must be 

 tied up for some time before he can expect returns. Few 

 are likely to be so fortunate as to have capital to carry over 

 to production, which means that some other source of income 

 must be available during the intervening period. 



The preceding paragraph should serve to point out the 

 need for a considerable amount of capital at the outset or 

 reasonable assurance that there will be some additional source 

 of income during the non-bearing stage. Good soil is impera- 

 tive. It would be folly to buy cheap land with the idea that 

 costs could be kept down. It has been found that a definite 

 correlation exists between type of soil, size of orchard, and 

 labor income. As labor incomes tend to increase with in- 

 creased acreage on good soil, so does labor income tend to 

 decrease when an attempt is made to increase acreage on poor 

 soil. 



One point has thus far not been mentioned, namely, the 

 advisability of purchasing an orchard which has already 

 reached the bearing stage. This has some advantages. Or- 

 chard land generally has shown some decline in value during 

 the past ten years. There is some evidence that a young or- 

 chard surrounded by reasonably good conditions might be an 

 economical purchase. However, it is essential that the buyer 

 spend some time in determining the reasons behind an offer for 

 sale. A desire on the part of an individual to sell may not 



Fruits 



Apples. 

 Pears . . 

 Cherries 

 Peaches , 



7-15 years Raspberries. 



7-15 Strawberries 



5-8 " Grapes 



3-5 " 



2- 3 years 



1+ " 



3- " 



