American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-06-18
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THE FARMERS COLUMN.
Profits Of Apple Growing.

but it should be borne in mind that
these are special instances and not the
general rule. Not every tree in an
orchard bears full crop in tho bear.
ing year, and few varieties bear well
every other year. Could wo rely on
three or four years even, fruit growing
might be pursued with profit.
Three years since we gathered four
teen hundred barrels of fruit from our
orchards, but in one year since have
the same orchards produced one half
that amount. If proper attention is
given to fruit growing, however, it may
be remunerative branch of husband
ry.
A. -Loomis, of Gencssee county
N. Y. says that tree of the Baldwin
apple, standing on the ground of his
brother, produced last year twelve bar
rels, (besdes four or five bushels of
windfalls, that sold for 50 % per bar
rel. The years product of this tree
was consequently $27-quite equal to
an acre of wheat in net profit.
A. Preble, of Lincoln county, Maine,
makes the following estimate, which
will be nearly correct in all good apple
regions, allowing for some variation in
prices: One hundred trees planted on
an acre of land, will cost on average
$25. The land should be kept in a
state Of cultivation while the trees are
coming into bearing. About $50 ex-
pended in care and labor, besides the
crops taken from the land, will bring
them into bearing state. When an
acre of trees is in its prime, it will
average 400 bushels per annum, pro-
vided the land is kept rich and loose,
and the trees we'll managed. Average
price 66 per bushcl. The surplus
apples are valuable for all kinds of
stock, particularly winter store hogs
Sweet apples are worth about as much
as potatoes.
The american Agricunurist says:
"A gentleman within our knowledge
has small orchard on the Hudson
river, of less than seven acres, which
produces from 5000 to 500 worth
Of apples annually. This is not one
famine, but is regular, steady, aver
ago yield. All this is secured by the
simplest process, viz, good manage.
mcnt."
S. B. Parsons, in recent addr oss, be-
fore the New Haven horticultural
Society, states "that within a few miles
of his residence, there is an orchard
of about 20 acres, producing about
$4,000 a year, the vegetables between
the trees paying the cost Of cultiva-
ton"
Hill Pennell, of Darby, Pa, sold in
1916, $225 worth apples, from half
an acre. Richard j. Hand, of Men
don, Monroe county, n. Y, sold in
1S45, $40 worth of Roxbury Russell
and Northern Spy apples from one
acre of orchard. Hugh Hatch, of
Camden, n. J. obtained from four trees
of the Tewksbury Bush, 40 bushels,
from each tree of these 100 baskets,
(of about three pecks each) sold late
In the following spring for one dollar
per basket.
Examples almost beyond number
may be given, where simple trees have
yielded from $5 to $40 year in fruit,
and many instances where $40 or even
$50 have been obtained. An acre of
such would be equal to any of the pre-
ceding instances. If one tree of the
Rhode Island Grccning will afford 40
bushels of fruit, at quarter of a dol.
lar per bushel, which has often occur.
cd, ~ such trees on an acre would
yield a crop worth $400. But taking
one-quarter Of this amount as a low
average for all seasons, and with i'm
perfect cultivation, 800 would still be
equal to the interest on $500 per
acre. Now, this estimate is based up.
on the price of good winter apples for
tho past 30 years in our most product
i've districts. Let similar calculation
be made with fruits rarer and of more
delicious character.
The farmer, then, who sets out 20
acres Of good orchards, and take care
Of them, may expect at no very remote
period of his life to receive from one
or two thousand dollars a year, which
ia quite a good income, and the farm
can be worked as well as if the trees
were not planted on it. An orchard
is capital which pays yearly diyid.
ends that are better to be counted upon
than our American railway stocks,
which a person holding one day may
count his thousands Of shares, and the
next day find them all vanished, as
Aladin's Palace did, in fairly tale, in
single night. lie can then sleep with
out anxiety as the golden shower comes