Net loss on field for eight years $294.08 Average annual loss 38.76 Total cost an acre, exclusive of income 124.27 Total cost an acre, including income 44.55 Total net cost a hundred trees 62.97 Total net cost an apple tree 1.37 Total net cost an apple tree, exclusive of income 3.80 Total labor cost an acre 35.09 Total cash cost an acre 89.19 We find that this orchard has cost $124.27 an acre during the eight years of its life, but that the $79.72 an acre of crops grown in the orchard has brought this cost down to $44.55 an acre. It is safe to say that the orchard would have cost even more than it did had it not been for the crops, for many operations charged directly to the crops would of necessity have been charged to the trees. The cost a hundred trees does not mean much, as it often happens that not all the trees are covered by an operation and as the number of trees an acre greatly affects these costs. We have another and younger orchard upon which a record has been kept. This orchard of five acres contains 126 standard apple trees, "filled" both ways with 375 peach trees. It was set in the spring of 1908, so that the trees have grown four seasons. The permanents (apples) are set 36 by 40 feet apart, so that, with the peaches between, the trees stand 18 by 20 feet apart. A crop of beans has been grown between the tree rows each season. The first season a full seven rows, twenty-eight inches apart, were planted in the wider space; the second and third season six rows, and the last season only four rows. The crop has been very good each year until the last. One application of manure, one crop of clover and one seeding of rye have been plowed under, and in addition a liberal amount of commercial fertilizer has been used with each crop. This year the peach trees bore their first crop. The record of the four years is as follows: SUMMARY OF THE COST OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD APPLE AND PEACH ORCHARD Net Income Crop income from Cost of Year grown from crop orchard orchard Profit Loss 1908 Beans $63.37 ... $130.12 ... $62.75 1909 Beans 66.70 ... $85.03 ... 18.33 1910 Beans 79.81 ... 83.39 ... 3.58 1911 Beans 53.20 $46.05 61.95 $37.30 ... ------- ------ ------- ------ ------ Totals $267.08 $46.05 $360.49 $37.30 $84.66