20 BULLETIN 1435, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The importance of variety selection in orange trees is indicated in 
the six-year average prices received. Those growers that had more 
than 50 per cent of their orange settings in Valencias averaged net to 
the grower on the tree, $3.01 per box; those having less than 50 per 
cent of their orange settings in Valencias averaged $2.53 per box on 
the tree. (These prices are net to the grower with harvesting, pack- 
ing, marketing, and all other costs deducted except the cost of pro- 
duction. The prices are the weighted average price.) 
On the other hand the Valencia trees produced 1.96 boxes per tree 
whereas the trees of the other varieties, principally Pineapple, pro- 
duced 2.57 boxes per tree. On a tree basis, therefore, the income 
from Pineapples was greater than from Valencias. The principal 
purpose of having more than one variety of fruit, however, is to guard 
against low prices which might occur during a part of the season. 
MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT 
The machinery and equipment necessary to operate a grove farm 
is small in amount and simple in character. For most farms a wagon, 
plow, harrow, and sprayer with a few pruning hooks and shears is 
about the extent of actual needs. Table 15 gives the number of 
farms reporting different kinds of equipment and the number of 
implements per farm reporting. Not all the farm operators owned 
mowers and sprayers. In some groves weeds were not cut but were 
dragged down with the harrow and then plowed under. Many 
erowers hire the spraying done by neighbors and especially was this 
true among those who had small groves. Only four growers possessed 
tractors at the conclusion of the study in 1922. Of the four, three 
used them to supplement animal power in cultivating and one used 
tractor power entirely in cultivating. 
WORK STOCK 
Thirty-seven of the 100 farmers kept work stock. The total 
number for the 37 was 74 head, of which 16 were horses and 58 were 
mules. The average number of work stock per grove was 2 head, but 
the actual count was as follows: 17 groves had 1 head each, 14 groves 
had 2 each, 2 groves had 3 each, 3 groves had 4 each, and 1 grove had 
10 head of work stock. 
TaBLe 15.—Implements used by Polk County cttrus-fruit growers and the number 
of groves of the 100 studied that possessed such as regular equipment, 1917-1922 
Farms Average Farms | Average 
Kinds of machinery report- | per farm || Kinds of machinery report- | per farm 
ing reporting || ing reporting 
Number | Number Number | Number 
1-horse wagon_---________-_-__ 39 12 05>||eRlanet Juniors 21s] 2 = 33 1.18 
Pleasure wagon ___----________ 28 atta Gasoline engines". es 12 i388? 
Heavy Wagons. ea anene es 17 1.24 || Fertilizer distributer _________| 5 1.00 
AhOrse plow 222-26 eae 43 2.51 || Mowing machine.____________ 24 12H 
2-HOTse PlOW ete rae 16 1 Oe || Can eprriill es eese See rt 2 1.00 
IXCMCINATTOW. 2a. 2 eteseete Sees 48 P56 uO anenyatess 22s ose Eee se 2 1.00 
IDiskah arrow 222s ee 14 TAS aS Prayers ssa see | 18 1. 94 
Stalke cutters 2. ere 1 1.00 || Manure spreader_____________| 1 1.00 
Plow stock and sweeps------__ 13 12545 pELAYaDRCSS estes eee eee Se 1 1.00 
j-horse cultivator _____________ 9 TSO" | een CLO Tees a eels De 4 1.00 
