The Cost of Growing Apples 
Last week we gave the figures showing cost of 
growing apples and the price the fruit must bring in 
order to pay a profit. These costs were made up as 
an average from 4G growers. The investigation was 
conducted by the New York State Farm Bureau 
Federation. The average labor costs are given in 
tiie following table. The seven farms in Western 
New York average 18 acres of apples, and the 89 
Hudson Valley farms 24 acres per farm: 
NUMBER OF .MAN HOURS PER ACRE 
7 Western 39 Hudson 
N. Y. farms Valley farms 
Pruning, hauling brush. 22.1 18.1 
Cultivating, spreading manure 11.0 11.0 
Spraying . 9 0 8.7 
Other work growing. 0.7 0.0 
Total for growing. 42.S 43.8 
The estimated yield of barreled stock for 1920 on 
these farms was 54.2 barrels per acre in the Hudson 
Valley and 70.0 barrels per acre in Western New 
York. 
7 Western 39 Hudson 
N. Y. farms Valley farms 
Total hours harvesting (esti¬ 
mated) . 119.7 92.3 
Total work per acre on bear¬ 
ing apples . 162 9 130.0 
Hours of labor per bbl. 2.31 2.51 
NUMBER OF HORSE HOURS PER ACRE 
7 Western 39 Hudson 
N. Y. farms Valley farms 
Growing . 29.5 23.1 
Harvesting. 23.6 15.2 
No. of tractor hrs, per acre.. 2.5 3.2 
No. of truck hrs. per acre.... 1.9 5.7 
The following table shows the average cost of 
growing one acre of bearing orchard: 
COSTS PER ACRE GROWING APPLES 
, -Averages-> 
7 Western 
39 Hudson 
N. Y. 
farms 
Valley farms 
Spray materials: 
A m t. 
Cost. 
Anil. 
Cost. 
Lead arsenate, lbs. 
21.8 
$5 93 
9.7 
$2.2S 
Lime sulphur, gals. 
19.7 
3.90 
13 4 
2.37 
Dust, lbs. 
17.0 
1 49 
Black leaf 40. gals. 
.07 
.94 
.19 
2.5S 
Gasoline for spraying, gals. 
3.1 
1.05 
1.1 
.37 
Oil for spraying, qts. 
.4 
.15 
.3 
.00 
Total cash cost spray ma- 
torial . 
$11.97 
$9.15 
Manure, tons . 
1.7 
5.25 
1.8 
7.99 
Labor—Man bom’s . 
42.8 
18 59 
43.7 
17.55 
Horse hours . 
29.5 
8.01 
23.0 
5.71 
Machinery hours . 
29 5 
2.65 
23.0 
2.47 
Tractor hours . 
2.5 
3.75 
3.2 
0.33 
Truck hours . 
.04 
.08 
1.1 
2 07 
Other costs . 
1.00 
3.59 
Interest on above expenses.. 
1.40 
* Taxes, fence drains and in- 
terest on value of orchards 
36.88 
51.22 
Total cost growing. 
$89.58 
$108.27 
* Interest on value of orchard is principally pay for 
previous costs of growing the orchard. 
The total cost of harvesting per acre, including 
the barrels, comes to $186.08 in Western New York 
and $137.15 in the Hudson Valley. 
The following table gives the average of 201 re¬ 
plies from Western New York on Baldwin apples: 
Price Ha 1<1 wins should 
Expected cost of picking bring to cover nil costs 
in addition to board. and reasonable profit. 
Costs What Grade A. Tree run 
per pickers including without 
bbl., would make bbl. Price bbl. Price 
cents. per day. per bbl. per bbl. 
Genesee .37 $8.70 $0.48 $4.10 
Monroe . 40 8.03 6 63 4.55 
Niagara . 31 8.30 0 91 4.59 
Orleans . 34 9.90 0 58 4 09 
8onpca . 28 0.05 0.98 4 07 
Wayne . 29 7 47 0.08 3.53 
Wyoming. 34 7.97 0.15 3.00 
Average.34 $S.91 $0.03 $4.20 
A fair average of what Baldwins are expected to 
bring this Fail is $5.09 per barrel, or $3.48 “tree 
run.” without, barrel, which, we see, is under the 
estimated cost of production. 
Changes in Apple Grading Law 
New York fruit growers should obtain a copy of 
Circular No. 197 on “The Apple Grading Law and 
its Application.” This is issued by the Department 
of Farms and Markets at Albany, N. Y., and gives 
the apple grading law up to date. The last Legisla¬ 
ture put through several amendments to this law. 
I hese amendments require that when closed pack¬ 
ages of apples are branded “New York Standard C 
Grade,” or “Unclassified,” that the face or shown 
surface of the package must lie fairly representative 
of the entire contents of such package. Under the 
old law this was not required, but apple growers 
must remember that this year the top apples must 
bo a fair average of the entire contents of the pack- 
a go. Growers should also remember the law as it 
refers to the sale of fruit or farm products in old 
packages. It has been the custom of some growers 
in these days of' high-priced packages to buy up dis¬ 
carded packages formerly used by others and repack 
7ht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
them. We know of one case in New Jersey whore 
a farmer made it his business to collect old packages 
which had been used by J. H. Hale in his famous 
peach orchard. This farmer would take these old 
packages carrying Hale’s red label, ppt his own 
fruit in them and bring them back to the market 
to be sold as Hale’s peaches. As this brand of peach 
had a high reputation in the market this grower by 
combining with the dealer secured a great advan¬ 
tage. His excuse was that his fruit was just as good 
as Hale’s, and therefore the customer was not de¬ 
ceived, hut obtained a good bargain. Aside from 
the morality of such conduct, under the New York 
grading law such a man would he liable to a fine 
of $50 for each package of this sort offered for sale 
where Ihe name of the original grower had not been 
thoroughly obliterated. Under the law, therefore, 
these old packages can be used, provided the name 
of the original grower is taken off, but if. as was 
the case with the Hale peaches, a grower leaves this 
old name on for advertising purposes, he is liable to 
a stiff fine. 
Public Markets are Growing 
The market master at Johnson City, N. Y., sends 
us the following note about public markets. This 
plan of direct selling to consumers is popular when 
prices are made so as to he an object in buying. 
There is no good reason why consumers should go 
to a market, pay cash and carry their goods home— 
paying the same prices that are charged at the 
stores. 
Our markets are coming splendidly. We have beau¬ 
tiful market buildings at Endicott. each producer having 
a built-in stall 8x22 feet, with tables built on a slant 
in front of them to sell their goods from. Then there 
is a space 20 feet wide down the long buildings for the 
consumers, and on the opposite side the same thing. 
We have two of these large buildings, and shall dupli¬ 
cate this same system here at Johnson Citv before 
Winter. 
You will see by the little Market yews that last 
Saturday we had 110 big loads on the Johnson City 
market, while Endicott had 130 loads, and the crowds 
of buyers on both markets were immense. I am glad 
to say that the markets are growing every day and are 
becoming very popular. I have an assistant market 
master on each market, and make it a point to visit 
both markets (six miles apart) every day. during mar¬ 
ket hours, and set the prices myself, guided largely by 
the average prices given in The Rural New-Yorker 
and the Farm Market Report (State.) 
The Humble Push Cart Will Help Dis¬ 
tribute 
September 1, in New Y~ork City, the officers of the 
New York State Federation of Agriculture met with 
Edwin J. O’Malley, Commissioner of Markets of the 
City of New York, and a plan was formulated whereby 
food will be delivered to the people of the city and* 
millions saved to both producers and consumers. The 
plan, in short, is to put the rolling markets back onto 
the streets. This great means of distribution, this 
agency which carries food to the very door of the city 
home, the push-carts, were forbidden to operate a year 
ago. There were about 14.000 of these. At the con¬ 
ference Commissioner O’Malley agreed to put them back 
onto the streets. The produce is to he shipped to the 
Commissioner at 130th Street. There it will be dis¬ 
tributed to the peddlers. They will be held to a fair 
price. No profiteering will "be allowed. The farmers are 
already promising to ship carlots to the Commissioner, 
and the first car of Duchess apples is now rolling. 
There is one great item of saving in this plan. At 
present bushel baskets for peaches are 35 cents each, 
and apple barrels are $1.50. Heretofore these have been 
used hut once by the grower. Now they may be returned 
and used over two to three times. 
The last few weeks have been filled with shameful 
economic waste. Tons of sour cherries have rotted on 
the trees. The canning factories did not take care of 
the crop. There were no other buyers. Plums are 
dropping on the ground. Pears cannot be sold. Early 
apples are being left on the trees because they can be 
shipped only at a loss. Peaches are now ripe. Twenty 
millions of bushels of fruit is the offering of Western 
New York farmers this harvest time. The farmers 
want to {jet it to the consumers. By the Commissioner’s 
plan and with the co-operation of the Federation of 
Agriculture fruit can he sold in New York at a price 
which will prevent the farmers from losing their entire 
crop, and will be delivered to New York’s millions with¬ 
out robbery. This is a telling blow struck at the fetters, 
which by binding botli fast, have so long separated pro¬ 
ducers and consumers. Words have been wasted; ef¬ 
forts paralyzed by discouragements; hut Commissioner 
O’Malley lias acted with vision and determination. All 
praise to him for attempting to relieve the situation 
when transportation and distribution problems are so 
great as to deny fresh fruit to our citizens. Other city 
commissioners of markets can follow his example if 
they have the courage. 
Another barrier between producer and consumer is 
the freight rate on peaches. The day before the above 
described conference was held there was a hearing be¬ 
fore the Consolidated Classification Commission of the 
railroads, at which this matter was discussed. The 
growers were represented only by the officers of the 
Federation of Agriculture aud a member of the Inter- 
1485 
national Apple Shippers’ Association. New York State 
peaches are now listed as first-class freight. Peaches 
from the West travel third-class and from the South 
under a commodity rate. Why discriminate against our 
State? Why hold to this high rate when millions of 
our own people are calling for this fresh fruit? The 
super-hazard on peaches, which was the reason for the 
high rate, is now removed. Peaches are generally pre¬ 
cooled and travel under ice. There is no transportation 
hazard, yet this barrier between producer and consumer 
is allowed to remain. 
How can these things be changed? The Federation 
of Agriculture believes with Tiie It. N.-Y. “We’re got 
to do it onrselves. ,, Evidently Commissioner O’Malley 
thinks so, too. When the history of agriculture in New 
York State is written to date one of the bright lights 
will be the story of the New York State Federation of 
Agriculture. The names of the present officers, Brad¬ 
ley, Fraser, Bush, Cornwall, Strome and Dillon will 
go down as names of men who fought for a cause; who 
paid their own expenses because they knew they were 
right; who met with defeat after defeat, but with the 
bulldog tenacity of the genuine fighting American who 
perseveres against all obstacles, continued their deter¬ 
mined efforts. f c 
Wayne Co., N. Y. 
Troubles on the Delaware Peninsula 
Our tomato growers have been hard hit, both by the 
constant rain and by the general slump in price; in 
fact, many growers are simply letting them rot in the 
field, as the canners who are at work are only paying 
15 cents a basket. This means loss to the grower. The 
canners say that with last year’s pack largely unsold, 
and low prices prevailing, they lose on last year’s work. 
The competition of Indiana and California is telling on 
the tomato growing on the peninsula, and it looks now 
as though our growers will let the West have our busi¬ 
ness, while they grow more profitable crops. My own 
opinion is that there would be great profit here in pro¬ 
ducing tomatoes under glass in December and January, 
when the Lake Shore forcers cannot well grow them. 
Then, too, if our growers would practice more intensive 
gardening, and produce the early crop, which they can 
P.ut in market by June 15-20, they could get fine prices 
till the middle of July or later, and then let the canners 
have the remainder at their own price. I planted the 
first field of tomatoes ever planted on the Eastern Shore. 
Having 200 sashes. I started in the greenhouse early, 
and hardened 30.000 plants in the upper part of the 
shore, and had the tomatoes in Baltimore June 24, 
having__the market to myself till Anne Arundel came in 
July 15, and then sold the balance to a canner for $400. 
But our people have little idea of intensive work ; would 
rather buy fertilizers and grow field crops. 
Maryland. w. F. MASSEY. 
Rhode Island and Game Laws 
After Mr. Plumb’s article about sportsmen on page 
353 I would invite him to come down to Rhode Island 
and view a fine crop of rye in the Spring, after the 
deer have eaten it bare, also a 10-acre two-year apple 
orchard, after they have passed the Winter in it. Also 
to interview one of our neighbors who was attacked by 
a buck in the Fall and nearly killed, his clothing torn 
and he driven up a tree, and had to stay there during 
Mr. Buck's pleasure; also a farmer passing the night 
in a tent in his vegetable garden with a shotgun (rifles 
prohibited) in hopes to save some of his crop. If sports¬ 
men want the respect of farmers let them join in asking 
the States to keep their wild animals in enclosures, as 
farmers do their stock, and not expect farmers to sup¬ 
port animals for sportsmen. Why Rhode Island runs 
tins herd of deer passes me. Our Legislature and 
Assembly are all deaf on the subject. 
M ill sportsmen also support a law prohibiting hunters 
from going on the land of another without a written 
permit from the owner? If not, why not? Why assume 
the farmer wants his birds and game shot unless he puts 
up notices? Tt should be the other way about when 
all our agricultural colleges and Washington urge us to 
protect the birds. 
The justified aud deep-seated grievance which land- 
owners have against sportsmen in our section i.s not 
against individuals, but arises from the sportsmen’s 
support of laws to snub the farmer. Who else is 
responsible for such laws? The deer law of Rhode 
Island cries to heaven, and has for years, and will 
continue to, apparently, as long as sportsmen have the 
say. We have great advantages over the rest of the 
country in farming in Rhode Island, but as yet sports¬ 
men are on the other side of the ledger for us. 
Rhode Island. w. b. welling. 
Organization Among Prune Growers 
Two years ago this coming September I wrote you 
what a disaster the prune growers here had met with 
from a most unheard-of September rain. But that 
rain, wetting the soil two feet deep, was a blessing after 
all. as it developed the fruit buds and gave this valley 
the largest crop ever known last year. In the meantime 
(he California Prune and Apricot Growers’ Association 
was organized and the growers were able to set their 
own prices, which has brought about an era of prosperity 
unknown before. War conditions, of course, helped to 
bring these results. It. was a hard struggle to get 75 
per cent of the acreage into the organization, which it 
was thought necessary to have to control the situation. 
Result, orchards have gone from $000 to $2,000 and 
even $3,000 per acre, and sales have been lively for the 
last year or so. There is a good crop of prunes this 
year. 
Campbell, Cal. 
F. S. N. 
R. N.-Y.—That is what organization has done for 
these prune growers. The general manager, in giving 
out this year’s prices for prunes, says: 
“The schedule of prices named today by the associa¬ 
tion to be paid its grower members for their 1920 crop 
prunes is the most conclusive argument which could 
possibly be made to prove that the association has just- 
tified its existence. 
"Under very unsatisfactory market conditions the asso¬ 
ciation has been able to sell this year’s prune cron at 
prices which will actually pay the growers more than 
they received during last year’s record-breaking season. 
■'The whole tendency of prices in practically every 
industry is downward. In addition, millions of pounds 
of prunes which, were exported to Europe out of the 
1919 crop are being shipped back to this country be¬ 
cause Europe cannot pay for them. Of course, these 
supplies had their effect on prices which could be made 
for this Fall’s crop. Despite these conditions however, 
the association will pay the growers a price for their 
1920 crop prunes which averages above the price they 
received last Fall.” 
