Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-05-06
Acre Cost s5b. .ss.

Acre Cost Sbb.63.
A prominent orchardist near Grants
Pass, in Josephine county, Southern
Oregon, figures that the total cost of
an acre apple orchard up to the seventh
year, counting cost Of plowing and pre-.
pairing ground cost of 60 trees, and ex-
pense Of planting, cultivating and
pruning is $55.63. From this sum he
deducts the revenue from go boxes Of
apples--ono box for each tree--at 80
cents a box, making the net cost Of an
acre planted to apples, up TO the time
when it can be relied on to bear prof.
itably, $21.23.
After the tree is nine years old, says
this authority, it should bear 10 boxes
a year, year in and year out, making
600 boxes an acre, equivalent at 50
cents box, to s345 per acre. The cost
Of cultivation, spraying and pruning
will never exceed $40 an acre, so that
the net profit ought to be 1925 per acre
each year. This sounds pretty rosy,
but Oregon orchadists do not consider
it at all wonderful. They are used to
such returns
The Hood River region, in the north
central part Of the state, raises the
finest apples in the world, and Hood
River apples are in greater demand,
and sell for better prices than those
from any other region. f. L. Smith,
Of Hood River, president Of me state
board Of horticulture, figures the cost
Of a 1O.acre orchard for FIVE years at
s42s.sO, which is rather more than an
orchard costs in Southern Oregon. He
gives no figures for an orchard nine
years old or older, but says that the
fruit from the fourth year will pay all
expenses and leaves a margin Of profit
He has found that seven-year.old or.
chard Of 10 acres paid him q profit Of
800 an acre, not dedueting interest
and taxes.
These figures show that apple rails.
ing in Oregon is profitable, but are not
intended to rouse an undue enthusiasm
on the subject Of apple culture in the
minds Of the people who know nothing
about the business; because there is no
better chance for man in the apple |
business, unless he knows business and |
means business, than there is in keep. |
ing store or contracting for street |
improvements. II requires a man with
patience, industry, and lot Of hard,
common sense TO raise apples, but IL
his success is earned, his reward is
abundant; and therein lies the charm.
, The value of the Oregon apple crop
In 1908 was $640,0O0. Probably In
1904 It exceeded an even million, for
the number and size Of the apple or.
'hards is increasing by leaps and
bounds yearly, Oregon fashion. BE.
tween 1890 and 1900 the number of
apple trees in the state more than
Four counties Clack. l
lmas, Marion and Douglas-reported
IN increase Of more than 100000
.rees And yet the demand for the
Oregon apple increases with the in
'rease Of the yield, and last year che
apples that have made the state IA
nous brought higher prices than ever
before. The significance Of this is ap-
parent when one considers that author
ties claim that not one-tenth Of the
AVAILABLE ground adapted to apple
growing is planted.
The Oregon apple today commands
he highest prices ever paid for apples.
IN London, recently, Hood River New.
on pippins sold at 22s and Cd (s5.43) II
'or bushol box of As pounds, and in
scotland 1000 boxes sold at Edinburgh
or 20s per box, while Scotch apples
we're TO be bought for Is Cd. These
'rices are equivalent to about 7 cents
N apple. And the apples are worth
he money, if ever apples are.