The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-11-15
HORTICULTURE
p. WALDEN

past season. The apples from tneSe
trees were sold for $501. After de-
Quoting the cost of cultivating, thin
ming, spraying, picking, packing, haul
ing to market, and counting in the
cost of boxes, the whole amounting
in the aggregate to $139, we find left
as a net profit from the Al trees the
sum of 1862. This shows the average
net return from each tree to be $3.50
These Al trees occupy about one-half
acre of ground, so that we reckon
net return of 1924 to the acre. Now,
it must be remembered that this is
not guess work. 1t is easy to make
an estimate and give big returns as
the result but such reports are not
satisfactory.
Before leaving this matter I wish
to record some observations and make
some suggestions. The price of ap-
pies is high this year. Last year we
sold the apples from these trees at
about one-half per box of what we
received this year. But the yield
last year was considerably more than
the present year-how much more we
do not know exactly, as we kept no
record. I think it would be safe to
say that these trees bore one-third
more in 1904 than they did in 1905.
The net return from. these trees last
year must have been something like
$3.50. Another thing I would call at
tention to is that while the Rome
Beauty trees in our orchards bore
good crop both years many other va
rieties did not Our bearing orchards
did not produce one-fOurth as many
APPLES in 1905 as in 1904. Some vari-
eties-the Yellow Newton and Nam
mouth Black Twig, for instance-d1d
not produce one-tenth as many. Even
the Ben Davis and the Missouri Pip
min fell far short of the previous year.
Of all the apples we had the Rome
Beauty made the best record the past
season. We raise no apple on our
ranch, either in our experimental or
chard of Is varieties or in our COM
mercial orchards, that is as complete
ly an annual bearer. as the Rome
Beauty. This is a weighty factor to
be considered when we are planting
a commercial orchard.
It is never safe to get hold of re-
ports such as the one my son made
for Prof. Waller and make that the
basis of reckoning what man can
make growing fruit. The man who
plants an apple orchard and expects
to have an annual net income OF STA
per acre is doomed to disappointment
1t will not be safe to count on one
half that much. | am asked very
often what can be expected as the
average net income from good bear
ing orchard. My reply is about $lOO
per acre. This surprises some people,
for they have read in the papers and
especially in advertisements sent out
by some real estate agents, how al
most fabulous sums are made in rails
ing apples. The Worlds Work OF
New York. for instance, tells in the
August number of the current year
how one "F. Walden is making from
$4,000 to $4,000 per year on his forty
acre fruit farm in the Yakima val
ley" The Spokesman-Review wash
ington, has sent out an advertising
card having a picture of rick OF
apples taken in this same mans or
chard in November, 1904, with state
ment appended that he had 21,55O
bushels of apples that year (not far
wrong) and that they brought him
s1724O. or an average of $500 per
acre | wish I could make some one
prove that these returns were true.
| would be several thousand dollars
ahead if they were.
Two Seattle men have published
something similar about my great re-
turns Newell Dwight Hills, OF Brook
lyn, New York, successor to Henry
Ward Beacher, on his return from the
northwest the past summer was asked
TO write his impressions Of this great
country for the New York World. In
doing so he gives, among other things