THE NATIONAL NURRERVArAN 
407 
Smmnai’v of Rullolin \o. RIO, (living ()[)(M'aling costs 
of the well establislied orchard of Mr. II. R. \V(dlinaii, Or¬ 
leans Co., N. Y. 
In Table VIII all lb(‘ costs of opeiation ar(‘ sunnnarized 
for both the yeai's sj)ecitied. On this j)articnlar farm 
these show a total of .'f^l.lIO j)er barrel of mark('tal)le 
a[)j)b's for 1911 and Jj^l.Ol for 1912. The three most im¬ 
portant items constituting this cost are labor, amouiding 
to iO per cent; the package (barrel), from 25 to 41 per 
cent; and the land reidal, from 12 to 20 ()er cent. There 
are many other items, but these three constitute Irom 85 
to 90 per cent of the total cost per hariel of mai'ketahle 
apj)les. Many growers do not realize that tin' money j)aid 
out for barrels alone is often more than the entire labor 
cost of production. 
Taiu.e Vni.— Summary of labor, cash, and fixed costs on 
the Idj-i-acre Wetlman ajyite orchard, containlny 
527 trees, for 1911 and 1912. 
Item of cost. 
Distribution of costs. 
1911. 
Distribution of costs. 
1912. 
Total. 
Per 
acre. 
Per 
tree. 
Per 
barrel 
Total. 
Per 
acre. 
Per 
tree. 
Per 
barrel. 
Labor. 
$i04.91 
$34,254 
$0,958 
$0,539 
$856.66 
$58,118 
$1,625 
?0.407 
Cash. 
418.10 
28.364 
.793 
.446 
966.57 
65.574 
1.834 
.459 
Fixed cost. 
294.91 
20.007 
.559 
.315 
302.46 
20.520 
.574 
.144 
Total. 
1.217.92 
82.625 
2.310 
1.300 
2,126.69 
144.212 
4,033 
1.010 
In this connection it must he remembered that these 
figures refer only to the Wellman farm and are merely 
for the two years considered. They may or may not ap¬ 
ply to any other farm in this same community. All fruit 
growers realize the wide variation in the important fac¬ 
tors related to the cost of growing apples and the need 
for a careful consideration of these in any study ol this 
problem. These factors will vary in respect to variety, 
age, and size of trees, soil, climate, method ot manage¬ 
ment, and particularly in respect to the ability of the 
farmer as a manager. In further consideration of these 
ligures it should he kept in mind that the data here pres¬ 
ented pertain to an orchard that is over 50 years oUl and 
is well located for the iiroduction of good fruit. 
Ueferring again to Table VIII, it will he noted that the 
(‘ost per acre and per tree was much greater in 1912, yet 
the larger yield of apples made the cost per harrel 28 
cents less than that of the jireceding year. As regards 
fixed costs, they are fairly constant, being approximately 
•f20 a year per acre on this particular orcliard. 1 he cash 
eosts—that is, such expenses as spray materials and hcU- 
largely dependent uj)on the amount and j)rice 
of spray material, together with the numher of harrels or 
other packages used. Hence, these items ol expense will 
vary with the yield of marketable fruit. 
The labor cost is inlluenced by the method of manage¬ 
ment. It is in this connection that the cfncieiit organiza¬ 
tion of the entire farm, of which the orchai’d lorms only 
one part, l)ecomes an importaid factor in lessening the 
rale of both man and horse labor. On a farm whcie the 
apple orchard constitutes the only enterprise, there being 
no other source of farm income, it is evident that all the 
labor expc'iided must h(“ charg('d against the a])ple or¬ 
chard. Ih'iice, it is (juite j)ossihl(* that tin; rale per houi' 
of man and horse labor would he much higher than on a 
well-diveisitied farm, wlu'ie the labor is better distribut¬ 
ed throughout the y('ai‘. The lowering of this rale on a 
diversitied farm conn's about through the otin'r farm en¬ 
terprises utilizing tin; labor during the periods wln*n it is 
not needed in oichard work. 
Persons taking up fruit growing as a specially without 
any other source's of farm ijiconn' are not following tin' 
experience of the Ix'st growers in the oldest apple-pro¬ 
ducing regions of this country. The Wellman farm is an 
excellent illustration ol growing Iruit in connection with 
other farm crops. The crops, such as l)cans, \\ heal, and 
hay, form no small part in lessening the operating costs 
of this orchard, in that fruit growing constitutes oidy om' 
item of the farm business. In this way the overlu'ad 
costs chargeable to the orchard are materially d('(*r('as('d, 
while in tin; case of the si)ecializc'd a{){)le farm all such 
costs must he borne entirely by the orchard. The readei- 
is urged to hear in mind that the data which has h('('n 
presented refers only to a particular oj'chard on a single 
farm and gives oidy the expense factors incident to tin; 
maintenance and o{)eration of this well-cared-foi' mature 
orchard. This publication is ijdended to illustrate a 
method which, if followed by apple growers, will enable 
them to analyze the important 1 actors entering into the 
cost of operating and maintaining their orchard indus¬ 
tries and to determine the relation which the various cost 
1 actors hear to one another in years of varying crop pro¬ 
duction. liy adopting this melliod the indepejident grow¬ 
er will he able to determine the actual cost of maintain¬ 
ing and operating his fruit enterprise on his own fai'in. 
No intelligent grower will assume that these figures 
are actual costs on his own farm, hut he should determine 
for himself the cost of producing his fruit. 
Apple growing as a commercial business has in many 
regions reached a high state of develo})ment. With the 
increased development keener competition will result. In 
order to realize profits, the producer must manage his 
business efliciently. The men most favorably situated 
and who are experienced and ellicienl will he able to pro¬ 
duce aj)ples cheaj)est. The h'ssening of the cost w ill not 
necessarily he due to differences in cultural methods, the 
reduction of j)ackage costs, or the decrease in the wages 
of the helj), hut to better management of the farm as a 
unit. 
THE APPLE CHOP 
The condition of the ai)ple crop on Septemher 1 in the 
United Stales is estimated at 61.9 i)er cent, of normal, 
com])ared with a 10-yeai' average of 53.6 per cent. This 
comlitioFi is inl('ri)reled as fort'casting a total production 
of about 220.000,000 bushels. The forecast on August 1 
was 210,000,000 bushels. Thes(' estimates are based 
upon a rej)orted total production of 145,000,000 huslu'ls 
in 1909 by the Unil('d Slates Census, and taking into ac¬ 
count changt'S in condition sinc(' then. Such stalF'im'nts 
of total iFi'oduction of aitples should not he confoumh'd 
with estimates of ‘‘coimm'irial” crop, which last y('ar 
was only about 40 p('i‘ cent of the total agricultural jfi'o- 
duction. 
Comparative statistics of production and prices, by 
States, are given on {Fages 29 and 30. 
