Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-03-27

THEY ARE WHEN AND APPLES
When TO Begin Work on the Straw
berry Bed Care of Young
Goslins--Notes.

f. A. English, of Pennington, in a
recent issue of the American -Agricultu-
rist, contrasts fruit aud grain growing
In the great northwest. His article is
given below entire:
1t costs about 25 cents bushel to
raise wheat in this section If one hires
everything done. If he himself farms he
would earn share of the wages paid,
and that would be enough to pay for his
living and the expenses of running the
farm. If he has family he will not
raise all wheat, consequently the gross
income will be likely 1000 bushels of
wheat less than the following estimate,
based on actual results and years of
experience, but he will raise other
things to support his family in place of
the wheat.
100 ACRES PLANTED TO WHEAT.
Price OF farm. slips per acre, $4,000;
s per cent interest S4240
Flowing 16o acres at $1.25 per acre 200
Narrowing 25 cents per acre twice,
once after seeding $50. ... 80
16O bushels Of seed wheat at So
cents ....''.' ...... ............. 56
Seeding 160 acres with drill at SO
Genus ........ ...... 49,. ...,..... so
Cutting and stacking 100 acres of
grain with header ...... ........ 200
Threshing 5000 bushels of wheat at
cents ........ ...... ............ $50
Cost of 22O0 sacks at Az cents -. 105
Hauling grain-to warehouse $50. 100
Taxes paid upon land ......... rs
Total expenditures ........ $3.50. $1336
Receipts 5000 bushels of wheat at
90 ceHtS .....''. ..... ~. ....... 1l5O
Total net receipts 49,. ........$ Ala
Now let us see how a 40-acre apple
orchard near Pennington, Wash, in the
Palouse valley, compares with the $40O
net increase from 100 acres of wheat in
the same section. My figures are for an
orchard. in its sixth year of bearing, as
taken from actual results:
ORCHARD.
Price of 40 acres of land at $50. $1,000
Interest at per cent ............., 70
Flowing the land twice, deep and
Sup-soll ....... ....-.. .......... $50
Narrowing twice 500, digging 5000
tree holes $60........ $500. ...... so
Planting 5000 trees $50, cost of year
ling trees $685.. -..... ........ 26S
Taxes per year $40, cultivating three
times first year $40 ........... so
Cost at end of first year ...$ $50
For the next four years the costs are
as follows:
Flowing once, narrowing twice. cul-
tivating thrice $3.50, one man for
two months trimming during year
500, 6 per cent on land $40, taxes
and interest on investment $780,,
total annual charge $3.50, or for
lOuT Years ....,..Sl4UV
Cost of orchard at sixth year or
bearing year ......... ........... $2050
Price of land added ....... ........ 1900
Total cost of orchard in its bear
ing year .......... .......$3250
FOR THE SIXTH YEAR.
Two boxes of apples per tree, equal
to 5000 boxes at so cents per box $4,000
Deduct picking, boxing and haul
ing to cars 5000, 5000 boxes at 8
cents, $3.50, fixed expenses as in
former years $780, total expense
OF '..'.... $3.50. ...... ..........$l43O
Net income in sixth year .......... $3.50 |
Thus the profits of the sixth year
and first crop equal half the cost of |
land, planting and five years culture. |
Then the crop will double and treble it
sell until lIe tenth year, IL tree Will |
yield 8 to 10 boxes of fruit, and at that |
time some trees will miss and the crop |
will then be at an annual average of |
10000 boxes, yielding a gross income |
of $4,000, and a net income of at least |
$4,000 per annum, or SIS per acre. This is |
a very certain and conservative esti- |
mate.
In stating the cost of the first five |
years cultivation, and making charge |
of $3.50 per annum, no allowance was |
made for tilling and growing small veg
etable crops in the rows during the first |
three years, which is usually done, and |
these crops usually pay more than the
cost of cultivation of the orchard, and |
often yield handsome profit. The best
crops to raise l found to be: First year,
corn, planting four rows between a |
tree row, harvested that way 80 bushels
per acre and sold at so cents per bushel;
the second and third year. white navy
beans, which would yield about 1000
pounds per acre, selling at 21ac In this
manner the ground paid all costs of cul-
tivation of the planted and growing
trees, consequently leaving no charge
whatever against the orchard excepting
the land.