1911 . 
33 
THE COST OF AN APPLE ORCHARD. 
One of our readers wants to know the 
cost of developing an orchard to bearing 
age. Ife will take a 20-acre grass field 
or pasture, break it up and put it iu shape 
for planting. What would it cost you to 
do this and what would be the yearly cost 
as you handle trees to care for the orchard 
until it comes into bearing to cover ex¬ 
penses? Tell us also how early Baldwins 
or other standard varieties will bear in 
your section. 
If stony pasture land, would depend 
upon mulch and chemicals and cost 
would not be more than one-half when 
cultivated. Plowing, $.‘5 to $5 per acre; 
first season’s harrowing, $2 to $3; sowing 
cover crop, peas and beans, etc., amount 
to $19.50. Crops may be grown in rows 
between, but prevents growth of cover 
crop. Second year, wheel harrow or 
spring-tooth may be used after plowing 
under cover crop in May or June. Cost 
of second year need not be over $15. 
Succeeding years would cultivate only in 
strips between rows. Baldwins will not 
yield paying crop until eighth or tenth 
year; Spys, 15; Gravenstein, 12 years; 
Wealthy, six years. If one has team 
and other help the cost need not be quite 
as much. s. t. maynard. 
Massachusetts. 
If the plot was mine I would not break 
it up; would plant in the sod. This will 
cost about five cents per tree. I would 
then mulch the tree with stable manure 
if available, otherwise, mulch with straw 
or any vegetable matter, using of the 
manure about two bushels by measure per 
tree. This cost will vary with the source 
of supply of the manure; about five cents 
per tree, for an estimate; the spraying 
for the first five years costs about two 
cents per tree; for the next five years 
about six cents per tree. This spraying 
expense is estimated, for weather condi¬ 
tions and insects present govern the 
amount of spraying necessary. The 
pruning as practiced here would cost pet- 
year for the first five years 30 cents per 
acre per year; next five, $1 per acre per 
year. The cost of mowing grass and 
mulching trees is about 60 cents per 
acre per year. This estimate, counting 
50 trees per acre, makes annual cost pet- 
acre for first five years, $1.90; for second 
five years, $4.60. The planting and mulch¬ 
ing of the trees with manure costs $5 
per acre. This would make cost per acre 
at end of 10 years as follows: Planting, 
$2.50; mulching, $2.50; five year’s cost 
at $1.90, $9.50; same period at $4.60, $23. 
Total, $37.50. Before the 10 years are 
up the orchard here planted and cared for 
as above would have more than made 
good purchase price and all. 
GRANT G. HITCIilNGS. 
New York. 
I believe that to break up, prepare and 
plant an acre of apple trees, including the 
cost of trees, 50 to the acre, would cost 
about $25. The cost of the full care of 
an orchard varies greatly, depending up¬ 
on the character of treatment and the 
land upon which it is located, so that I 
should Say the acre of orchard might cost 
about $50 to $100 from the time it was 
planted up to eight years, when it should 
be in shape to pay expenses. With us 
York Imperials begin to bear at about 
eight years, are bearing nicely at ten 
years, and at twelve years old are right 
down to business. Baldwins begin bear¬ 
ing about the same age, also Grimes 
Golden. Stayman Winesap and Jonathan 
begin bearing a little later. 
Adams Co., Pa. Chester j. tyson. 
In my own case I have expected the 
orchard to pay its own expenses from 
the first year, so the cost need not deter 
anyone from setting out an orchard. No 
novice should set out an orchard with¬ 
out the advice of an expert. An apple 
orchard is a live-long investment. Any 
mistake made at the beginning, cannot 
be remedied afterward. Our way would 
be to set the trees in rows 35 feet apart 
both ways and to set peach trees between 
the apple trees and a row between the 
rows of apple trees, which gives three 
peach trees to one apple tree. Then set 
the ground between with a low stover 
variety of corn, like sweet or popping 
corn, or with strawberries, tomatoes, 
etc. The cultivation of these crops will 
give the trees the best of care and will 
pay the expenses of the first two or 
three years. The peach trees will need 
the ground the fourth year and on for 
six or eight years, by which time the 
peach trees should be removed and not be 
allowed to crowd the apple trees. 
Massachustts. j. eames. 
We might be able to tell how we 
would do it, but when we are asked to 
tell the cost of some one else doing it, 
the problem is too big for us. In fact we 
should not expect to develop two or¬ 
chards of that size with hired help at the 
WHE RURAIv NEW-YORKER 
same cost, viz: giving each orchard a 
foreman to manage the whole business, 
planting, pruning, cultivating, etc., 
neither should we expect the orchards to 
be of equal value at that age, even if 
the condition of the land was practically 
alike. The value of the orchard will 
depend very much upon the man behind 
it, the cost, location and quality of the 
soil. Local conditions count for much, 
not so much in the difference in price of 
labor per day, but in its quality and intel¬ 
ligence. A man might start under ideal 
conditions in regard to labor, and then in 
a few years be greatly handicapped to get 
suitable labor at reasonable rates. When 
I receive questions like this I wonder 
whether anybody inquires of the editor 
what it would cost to start an agricul¬ 
tural paper until it was on a paying basis. 
For when we take into consideration that 
the bearing age will depend upon the 
varieties used, as well as the judgment 
used in their care, the question is one 
for the agricultural professor who has 
had no practical experience in the mat¬ 
ter. H. 0. MEAD. 
Massachusetts. 
Suggestions for Parcels Tost. —The 
people need and will have parcels post, 
and the opposition to it will be over¬ 
come by retiring the Congressmen who 
oppose it. My plan for adopting parcels 
post would be as follows: Abolish the 
fourth classification of mail matter by in¬ 
cluding in the third class everything not 
now included in the first and second 
classes, maintaining the rate of postage 
on third class matter as now, one cent for 
each two ounces or fraction thereof. The 
fourth classification always seemed to me 
to bo a supernumerary—a good thing to 
get rid of. Besides a large part of mail 
matter of the fourth class, viz., seeds and 
plants, is already given the third class 
rate. And herein are injustices and con¬ 
fusion. Why should the postage on a 
pound of seeds be eight cents, while that 
on a pound of other merchandise is 16 
cents? Or why should the postage on a 
pound of celery seed for planting be eight 
cents, while that on a pound of celery 
seed for flavoring, though sold for one- 
tenth the price of the former, is just twice 
as much? Vet this is according to the 
present elegant classification of mail mat¬ 
ter in this country. Since there is no 
limit of weight on packages of first and 
second class matter I can see no good 
reason for limiting the weight of pack¬ 
ages of matter otherwise classed to four 
pounds—unless it be tire four express com¬ 
panies. Hence I would abolish the weight 
limit, or limit all packages of mail mat¬ 
ter to a weight of not more than 25 pounds. 
This plan would give us a simple and eas¬ 
ily understood classification of mail mat¬ 
ter and our long sought parcels post. And 
I have no doubt that it would also wipe 
out the annual shortage of the Postoffice 
Department and give in its stead a sub¬ 
stantial Surplus. F. E. ASl’I NALL. 
Kentucky. 
( - 
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BOX 1036 BREN LOCH. N. 
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This $1500 Farmers Motor Car 
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F ARMERS are delighted to find in this great motor car many of the feat¬ 
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