j 
: 
ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF CITRUS-FRUIT GROWING IN FLORIDA 39 
very little change in the cost per box. It was profitable to increase 
the yield, however, as no change in the cost per box left the same 
margin between cost and selling price, but the number of margins 
was increased. Indications are that it would be profitable to increase 
the average yield by 100 per cent. 
The grove farms that were most profitable used most labor, ferti- 
lizer, and spray material, and had most trees per acre. The cost 
per acre was increased with the use of greater amounts of labor and 
material, but the cost per box was decreased because of greater yield. 
The effect on net returns when the cost per acre is increased is 
shown in Figure 11. This figure illustrates that economy in the 
management rests not so much upon reducing the absolute amount 
of the expenses of operation as upon the wiser course of spending so 
as to increase the yield per acre, which in turn will result in a reduced 
cost per box and an increased margin of profit per box and per acre. 
COST AND PROFIT YIELD PER 
PER ACRE 55; ACRE 
DOLLARS BOXES 
800 240 
(aa 
aad 
440 180 
600 eee 
Cte 
440 fee 
447 440 
4474 aA 
404 4a? 
447 447 
4474 447 
ate | 
400 $22 20 
447 
440 
AGA 
Ae 
444 
444 
447 
200 43% 60 
VA 
444 
447 
774) 
447 
447 
477 
447 
300 $30!-350 $351-400 Over 400 
RY Net profi? Yield per acre 
Fic. 11.—The grove farms that were most profitable used most labor, fertilizer, and spray material 
and had most trees per acre. Economy in management rests not so much upon reducing the abso- 
lute amount of expense of operation as upon the wiser course of spending so as to increase the 
yield and receipts 
SUMMARY 
The production of citrus fruit in Polk County is a highly special- 
ized farm enterprise. In most instances, no other source of farm 
income was reported. 
The cost of developing a grove up to and including the fifth year 
was, on the average, $536. Of this amount, $125 was value of raw 
land, $194 was cost of clearing, fencing, preparation of land, trees, 
and setting out trees, and $217 for maintenance cost. 
The average tillable acreage per farm was 27.6 of which citrus 
fruit occupied 24.3 acres. The acreage in different kinds of fruit 
was divided as follows: Oranges 13.7 acres; grapefruit 9.1 acres; 
tangerines 1.3 acres. There were 18.4 acres of bearing fruit on the 
average during the period of this study. 
The average farm was capitalized at $31,542. The capital in- 
yestment increased from $20,656 in 1917 to $41,776 in 1922. 
+= _ ~ ace: Th Ae; 
SR 
ee a ee See 
