In this estimate of the first year's work, the writers have figured on the basis of hiring all the work done. If the owner does nothing more than oversee the work, his living expense for the time so occupied may be added; but assuming that he does much of the work himself, the saving of hired help will pay the living expense of himself and family. Therefore, the estimate as given will include all expense that could properly be charged to the investment. Further, no special allowance has been made for horse feed; but the estimated cost of plowing and cultivating covers these items in the early part of the season, while the five acres reserved for alfalfa and planted to oats with alfalfa the first year, will give sufficient feed to carry the stock through the remainder of the year. Land between tree rows will also help to supply live-stock and poultry, and to pay for contingencies which have not been provided for in the table of estimates. Second year Fig. 213. Peach tree before prun ing. California. This is a conservative and practical working estimate of the cost of producing a good irrigated fruit-farm. To give an accurate estimate of the returns that can reasonably be expected is a more difficult task. With such a selection of fruits as outlined above, a fair sum should be realized each year after the first season. The one acre of strawberries should return $200 to $500 the second season. Raspberries and blackberries should give as good results the third year. Grapes, currants and gooseberries should bring some money the third year and full crops thereafter. The fourth season should find all stone-fruits in bearing, and the total crop for that year will bring $1,000 to $2,500, according to the season, prices and other factors. After the fifth year some reFig. 214. Peach tree after pruning. turns may be expected from the apple orchard, and the annual output of the farm should average $2,500 to $6,000. With an annual average gross income of $4,000, the expense for boxes, spray materials, cultivation, irrigation, pruning, packing and hauling the fruit to shipping station, may be counted at $2,000, leaving a net profit of $2,000, or 10 per cent interest on a valuation of $20,000, or $500 per acre. CAPITAL REQUIRED FOR ESTABLISHING ΑΝ UP-TO-DATE NURSERY OF GENERAL HARDY PRODUCTS. By P. J. Berckmans In this day of progress in all horticultural ventures, it is necessary that a man be able to meet successfully all competition in growing nursery stock of the highest standard of quality, and be able to grow it in such quantities as will allow a fair margin for its production. The prices for nursery products which have ruled during the past few years have usually been very low as compared with the cost of production. There are several factors which account for this. The main reason is that numberless small nurseries have come into existence without sufficient capital or knowledge of the business. After a few years of struggling they have gradually been compelled to relinquish their efforts, and the large quantity of inferior stock held by them has been placed on the market regardless of the price that could be secured. This flooding the market with inferior and cheap stock has caused a depression in the prices of nearly all nursery products offered by the leading growers. However, this depression of healthy conditions is gradually lessening by the rapid failure of this class of growers. General considerations of organization. Taking it for granted that the minimum size of an up-to-date nursery is 200 acres, as this quantity of land is necessary for growing a general line of nursery stock, we have the following considerations: 1. The cost of land must be counted as the first washing, particularly in the South. To avoid this, such lands may require terracing, which adds much to the cost of preparation. It may not always be possible to secure a tract of 200 acres of land that has not been more or less depleted by faulty cultivation. Forest land of good quality may be found more profitable in this case; the expense of fitting it for the nursery must be added to the first cost. Frequently, however, the wood cut and sold from such land not only covers the cost of clearing, but a part of the purchase money also. 2. The labor must be considered. As the price of labor is rapidly increasing, and the competition in the nursery trade must be met, it is obvious that every possible labor-saving implement and condition must be utilized; and, to this end, the first preparation of land, before any planting is attempted, must be very thorough; the land must be free from stones, roots or other obstructions. The number of laborers required will depend on the facili ties for work ing the land, and the products that are grown. Taking as a basis a tract of 200 acres of level land, free from obstructions, and of a loamy texture, ten to twelve mules or horses and a minimum of fifteen men would be required to cultivate the land and haul the products to a market or shipping point not above a distance of three miles; an increase of animals is needed for greater distances, especially during the shipping season, when an additional number of men may also be found necessary. Fig. 215. Winter storage building on an Ontario nursery farm. estimate. The price of land varies greatly according to location, that is, proximity to a large city, or, more especially, easy access to transportation facilities. A fair estimate would be $50 to $100 per acre; but when lands are more or less remote from these requisites, their value may be computed at half of this, or even less. The amount of capital invested in land lies with the purchaser. The selection of the land depends somewhat on the kinds of trees or plants the nurseryman wishes to place on the market. It is obvious, also, that the particular trade to be supplied should be fully predetermined. If one intends to grow stock for the supply of a strictly local trade, the nursery should be located as near as possible to a large center of population, with the shortest distance for carrying products. But if a strictly wholesale trade for a few leading classes of fruit and ornamental trees is planned, then lands lying at a greater distance, but always near a railroad where the forwarding facilities are ample, may be used. The first cost of the land will vary accordingly. Nursery land should be of good quality, easy to work, naturally drained, or capable of being drained at small expense. The soil should be of different kinds in order that the different classes of trees and plants may be grown to the best advantage. Level lands are to be preferred, as rolling lands or hillsides are subject to 3. One must consider the question of fertilizers. This cost is very difficult to approximate because of the various classes of material and quality required. The condition of the land and the kind of products must be considered. Whenever good stable manure is obtainable, it is by far the best material for general nursery purposes, as its liberal application replaces the humus in which treed lands soon become deficient. Hauling and spreading stable manure is more expensive than the applying of commercial fertilizers. However, some commercial fertilizer, especially bone meal, should always be used as an adjunct to stable manure. 4. An estimate of the cost of the necessary buildings is given at the end of this article. The first cost must be governed by locality and facilities for construction. In the Middle States, the buildings, except the dwelling-houses, need not be so roomy or substantial as is required in northern sections, where storage is necessary (Fig. 215). 5. An abundant supply of water must always be provided for use of the household, animals, irrigating the parts of the nursery used for raising seedlings, and for the packing-house. As the supply must depend on local facilities, whether well or specimen orchards of such varieties of fruit and ornamental plants as it is intended to grow, in order to have types true to name from which grafts may be cut. The success and reputation of a nursery Fig. 216. Fumigation house, well-constructed and efficient, costing only $250 complete. stream, the cost of bringing it where needed by steam, gasoline, wind or other power, must be figured in the cost. 6. Facilities for fumigation must be provided. The nursery inspection laws in most states require that all products be fumigated by hydrocyanic acid gas before they can be sold or forwarded, and for that purpose a well-constructed fumigating house must be part of the equipment of every nursery. Wooden structures are seldom efficient and require frequent overhauling. A building constructed of brick or concrete, with heavy refrigerator doors and perfectly air- and gas-tight, is by far the cheapest and the most economical in operating. The illustration (Fig. 216) shows a well-constructed house that gives entire satisfaction. The house is 34 x 15 feet, with two compartments of 12 x 13 feet each; a smaller compartment of 3x5 feet for fumigating cuttings, buds or small quantities of trees, and another of 7 x 2 feet for storing chemicals. Each of the larger compartments holds 2,000 to 5,000 trees of average size at each M Fig. 217. Hand-tools used in the nursery. charge. The cost 7. The imple- 8. Seeds, seedlings, trees and the like must be included. The first work in the equipment of a nursery is the planting of man depends greatly on the genuineness of his products, and on this he can rely only if he knows that his stock trees and plants are correctly named. Show-grounds of evergreens, flowering shrubs and the like should be planted. In addition, sufficient quantities of fruit trees and ornamentaltree seedlings must be purchased for planting the different nursery blocks; this item may reach any sum from $5,000 to $15,000, according to the kind of products to be grown. 9. Packing-house supplies must be provided, such as lumber, burlaps, moss, straw, nails and labels, and chemicals for fumigating. 10. A medium-sized propagating house, or wellconstructed hotbeds, must be available for propagating by seed or cuttings. 11. Incidental expenses, taxes and insurance; these will be found to occur very frequently, and a sufficient sum must be apportioned. 12. Office fixtures and advertising must not be overlooked. Estimates of capital. In making the following estimates, a minimum average price for every item has been used, but |