Charlevoix county herald., 1909-09-04
$7,250
$4,000
$4,000
First year, land paid for, and
net profit s.

First year. land paid for, and
net prOHt ............. 81 ,ZoU
Now let us apply some of this same
reasoning to Western Michigan. A
fruit grower living within five miles
OF Ludington owns 60 acres. He act
ually has 60 Montmorenci real cherry
trees, occupying less than one-half
acre. From these trees in 1908 he
actually picked an average of five
cases per tree and sold them at ali
average price, real money, Of little
better than 81 per case. In other
words his receipts from less than
one-half acre amounted to $500.
The Phoenix bulletin does not state
that anybody actually did pay $4,000
tor a 40-acre tract and actually did
clear 81 ESQ the first year above the
cost of the land. 1t simply says this
might be done. On the same kind Of
figuring it may be said that a Mason
county forty will produce $4,000 be-
cause one grower cleared $500 from a
half acre.
All this brings us back to our orig
inal statement that Western Michi-
gan affords as fine opportunity to
farmers and fruit growers as any
place in the world. In 1907 local
grower got more than $4,000 from
two acres of plums; from IL peach
trees another grower picked GO
bushels and sold them for $50, which
is equivalent to $40 per acre; from
one and one-fourth acres of tomatoes
another grower reaped $512; another
grower from 40-acre farm not in the
market, but worth say $4,000, actually
cleaned up from small fruit between
$4,000 and $1,000 or 4S per cent on
his total investment, which includes
a slightly farm home and other good
buildings. These are typical in
stances Of what actually has been
done. They are taken almost at ran
dom from few incidents that have
attracted our personal attention.
Everybody knows they are hardly fair
to local growers in as much as they
incompletely set forth local possibili-
ties.
The Traverse City Board of Trade
has compiled some statistics in re-
gard to Grand Traverse county. Be-
| ing selected with some care they
make fairer, a better showing for
this region. Here is an instance of
what one man did, not what anyone
might do" but of what was actually
done. 1t is a sworn statement and
reads as follows:
Guy Tompkins, of Peninsula
township, Grand Traverse county,
Michigan, being duly sworn, de-
poses and says:
My cherry crop for 1907 from
227 trees, covering about two
acres, was 1,942 cases of Morenci
cherries, which | sold at $1.40 a.
case or $2.71S.S0. (This was from
my cherry orchard on the home
| place.
My cherry crop for the season
of 1908 from what is known as
the johnson farm" was 300
cases, which / sold at S125
case, or $4,625. (This farm con-
tains 40 acres. The orchard from
which the above crop was har-
vested covered z acres. This farm
I purchased Tor $3,S00.)
Signed, Guy Tompkins. Sworn
to and subscribed before me this
18th day of January, 1909 Chas.
NJ. Beers, Notary Public.
Compare this with the Phoenix in
cident. The Phoenix Board of Trade
says you pay $3.50 per acre. The
! Traverse City man swears he paid
$95 per acre, only two-thirds as much
and the latter price probably included
buildings, which would have to be
erected on the Phoenix piece. The
Traverse City man made 1872 pei
cent, real money, from seven acres
less than one-fifth of his total pur
;hase; the Phoenix man made t2C