18 BULLETIN 1421, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS 
Commercial orchards, especially apple orchards, were planted 
extensively in the beginning of the development of the project. 
Unfortunately, too many varieties were planted, some of which were 
of inferior quality. By the time the orchards came into bearing, 
some of the new varieties had become popular. This made sales 
difficult for those having the inferior varieties, except during years 
of light production. Many of the orchards were neglected. Some 
of them were operated in connection with general farming by men 
who would not learn the necessary details of apple growing and 
INDEX NUMBERS OF PRICES TO PRODUCERS IN IDAHO 
T = “ * Wool 
Average of 1910-1914=100 : y ae 
2 alee 
exe xexex 
x 
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By 
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sk 
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& 
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50 
ISOs ell fe IA ISG iy Ora 9S s220 SAN ee Cates eee 
Fic. 14.—The index numbers in this figure are on the calendar year basis, whereas those in 
Figure 6 are on a crop-year basis. Like crop prices, most of the livestock prices fluctuated vio- 
lently from 1916 to 1924 
marketing. Liven some of the strictly apple farms were neglected. 
Up to 1917 most of the marketing was done under the consignment 
system and the financial returns were often very unsatisfactory. 
The great distance to the principal apple markets makes competition 
stiff during years when the crop is heavy in the eastern States. 
These are some of the conditions and circumstances which led many 
apple growers to become so discouraged that they pulled up their 
trees and engaged in general farming. In 1913 approximately 7 
per cent of the crop and pasture land was in commercial orchards. 
For several years the proportional orchard acreage decreased and 
since 1917 less than 2 per cent has been in commercial orchards. 
