A Fruit Survey or Mesa County 
15 
It is absolutely impossible to obtain accurate figures on the 
number of acres of bearing orchard or the yield per acre. No 
claim of authenticity is made for these data on yields. Yet, 
though they are merely estimates, they give some idea as to the 
probable yields and are as nearly correct as can be determined 
from the data at hand. 
' THE COST OF PRODUCTION 
One of the questions asked the growers was the cost of pro¬ 
duction per box of the different fruits. Many of them had abso¬ 
lutely no idea of the cost, and others had pretty close figures on 
this. While there is considerable variation in the estimates given, 
the mean is no doubt very close to the actual cost of the fruit. The 
averages of the estimates for the cost of fruit f. o. b. their shipping 
point, including all expenses, was as follows: Apples, 61.2c per 
box (the average of 61 estimates ranging from 40c to 86c) ; pears, 
60.5c (average of 37 estimates, varying from 40c to $1.00); peaches, 
31.2c (average of 7 8 estimates, varying from 20c to 43c). 
It is quite evident that the growers must receive at least 65c 
per box net for apples and pears in order to make interest on their 
investment. At an average of $1.00 per box a fair profit can be 
made. At this price they should reach the consumer at $1.50 to 
$2.00 per box, which is not too much to pay for first-class fruit. 
Peaches should net 40c to 50c per box, making them retail at 
$1.00 to $1.25 per box. 
MARKETING 
The greatest trouble the fruit growers have to contend with 
is the marketing problem. This has, for several years, been caus¬ 
ing unlimited trouble. Numerous methods of selling fruit have 
been tried and, without exception, all have been found wanting. 
Experience has proved that co-operative selling associations offer 
the most satisfactory solution to the problem. This system of co¬ 
operative selling originated in Grand Valley and has been tried 
here a number of times, but with varying degrees of success. When 
fruit was bringing good prices things went all right, but with the 
drop in price, trouble brewed. 
There is one big defect in the system—the average farmer will 
not co-operate. Whenever he sees a chance to get a little more 
for his fruit than he is getting through the association, he will ffo 
so, regardless as to what happens to his associates. It is to this 
failing that the success of unscrupulous commission agents is due. 
The plan of these men is to promise the farmers a little -more 
for their fruit than their associates are getting for it. The farmers 
usually let the agent take their fruit. If they are too skeptical 
