H 
The Colorado Experiment Station 
tion of arsenical spray. The cost per spray of lime-sulphur, the 
mean of 95 estimates, is $6.65 per acre. 
There was much variation in the answers given for the spray¬ 
ing data. Many of the orchardists have absolutely no idea of the 
cost of this work. 
INCREASE AND DECREASE OF ACREAGE 
The past five years have seen considerable decrease in the 
acreage of orchards in the Grand Valley. It is safe to say that 
during this period at least 2,500 acres of orchards have been pulled 
out. Various reasons are assigned for the removal of the trees, 
chief among them being poor prices, seepage and neglect. 
The decrease in acreage has affected the apples most severely, 
and the loss has been heavier in the older districts. The follow¬ 
ing estimates, based on actual figures, give an idea of the amount 
of orchard pulled out between 1911 and 1915. These estimates are, 
probably, in most cases, low. Palisade shows a decrease of about 
150 acres of peaches and an increase of 50 acres of apples and 75 
acres of pears. The Clifton District has lost 400 acres of apples 
and 450 acres of peaches, the acreage of pears remaining about the 
same. In the Grand Junction District the acreage has been dimin¬ 
ished by 600 acres of apples, 150 of pears, and 50 of peaches. Fruita 
shows a loss of 750 acres of apples, and Loma has a decrease of 
100 acres of apples. 
' In some few cases, good bearing orchards have been pulled 
out, but in most cases it was better that the trees were removed. 
The Valley as a whole would be vastly improved if all the ill- 
planted, seeped, neglected or otherwise unprofitable fruit trees 
were removed and a lot of inferior fruit thus kept off the market. 
Fruit growing, like all other agricultural industries, thrives 
best only under favorable conditions. One cannot profit from an 
orchard under adverse conditions. When it is seen that fruit trees 
will never yield a fair return, they should be taken out and the 
land devoted to other crops. 
YIELD 
For the years 1911 to 1915, the average number of acres of 
bearing orchard was about as follows: Apples, 6,000; pears, 1,100; 
peaches, 1,800. Assuming that 90% of the fruit grown during this 
period was shipped out of the Valley, the average yield for the 
Valley would be about 800,000 boxes of apples, 60,000 boxes of 
pears, and 1,150,000 boxes of peaches. This would give an aver¬ 
age yield per acre of about 135 boxes of apples, 145 boxes of pears, 
and 640 boxes of peaches. 
