Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-09-09
PROFIT OF ORCHARD
Many Fruit Growers Fail to Keep
Detailed Record of Expense.
Maryland Agricultural Station Gathers
Much Interesting Data on Cost Of
Trees, Planting, Maintenance
and Other Details.

Most fruit growers do not keep rec
ords of the expense entailed year after
year in caring for their orchards. so
It Is impossible to state the approx
innate expense and profit of an or
chard in most parts of the state. A
set of questions was sent to several
successful fruit growers In order to
throw light on the expense Of starting
and maintaining an orchard. the crops
grown while the trees were young, the
age Of first bearing, the age Of first
profit, the average value Of crop and
the value Of heaviest crop. The fol-
lowing detailed statement by Mr.. e.
P. Cohill, Hancock, Of his seven-year-
old 30-acre orchard Is most valuable
as guide for western Maryland. This
orchard was handled as follows:
First Year-Narrow strips cultivat-
ed along tree rows and cowpeas grown
In middle.
Second Year-Same as first year.
except that crimson clover was grown
instead of cowpeas.
Third Year-Same as second year.
Fourth Year-All the ground cult
waited until August. when red clover
seed was sown.
Fifth and Sixth Years-Strips culti-
waited along tree rows and red clover
left on middles until August. when all
the ground was plowed and seeded to
clover.
Seventh Year-AE the ground cul-
tfvated until August Is, when red
cloverseed was sown. Two hundred
pounds per acre of a mixture Of IL
per cent phosphate and per cent.
potash we're applied August Is.
Hogs were pastured In the orchard
from May 1 to November 1 during the
first six years. Mr.. Cohill states that
the manure and clover plowed under
In this orchard have increased the
value of the land at least $40 per acre.
There are 5000 trees set 20 feet apart
each way in the 30 acres. They we're
planted In November. 1902. and April.
1903. Labor Is figured at 15 cents per
hour. The entire cost Of trees. plant
ing, cultivation. fertilizers and ma
nure. was $4,173: the returns. 1929.
These figures show that up to the end
Of the seventh year the orchard has
not been self-supporting by 1914. yet
II we consider the increased value of
the land due to manure and clover
crops. at $50 per acre. the deficit is
reduced to $3H Some old apple trees
on land purchased by Mr. Cohill sew
eral years ago have produced q full
crop Of apples each year for the last
five years Another orchardist In
Washington county makes the follow
ing statement from memory az he has
not kept accurate records: The trees
cost $3.50 per acre and the planting 81
per acre. Crops were grown among
the trees for the first five years and
about paid the running expenses of
the orchard. Ben Davis began to bear
at years and York at IL years Of
age. At the present time one-half Of
the orchard Is 81 years old and the
other half Is years and the most
profitable crop brought $3.50 per acre.
while the average income Is about $50
per acre. The crop is good on bear
ing years and about one-fourth of a
crop on off year. Spraying costs SIS
per acre. pruning 81. picking. ETC.. SIG
annually.
This valuable bulletin may be had
by the farmers Of the state by address
ing the secretary Of the Maryland
agricultural experiment station. Col
lege Park, Md.