Читать книгу Fruit Ranching in British Columbia - John Thomas Bealby - Страница 15

Tomatoes	85,000
Cabbage	10,000
Strawberry	80,000
Raspberry	3,000
	———
	178,000

"All this was raised on a 10-acre clearing in heavy bush in Okanagan Lake District the fourth year after Mr. Gellatly located the land" ("Agriculture in British Columbia," Official Bulletin No. 10, p. 16).

I now turn to the consideration of the costs of laying-out an orchard—that is to say, the price of land, the expenses of clearing, fencing, planting, and so forth. And I take, first, a little pamphlet which was sent to me in England from Nelson, entitled "Glorious Kootenay": "The price of fruit land varies according to location, situation, and the amount of clearing to be done, and suitable land can be secured throughout the various parts of the district at prices ranging from $30 (£6) to $100 (£20) per acre. As a general rule, it is better to commence by clearing sufficient land to put in strawberries and small fruits, so as to secure an early revenue, and then gradually to clear and improve the remainder for orchard purposes. Clearing can, however, be done by a contract or by day labour. It may be broadly stated that, with a capital of $2,000 (£400) to $2,500 (£500), 20 acres of good land can be cleared and planted with fruit-trees and strawberries and other small fruits, and that this amount of land is sufficient for an ordinary family, and should afford a good and sufficient income to live well upon" (pp. 18-19).

Now, it is evident, on a little reflection, that, while these statements may be true, they are incomplete as a summary of the situation. If the land alone cost $100 per acre (and this, I may add, is the average price that would have to be paid now), the price of the 20 acres would absorb the whole of the settler's capital. If, however, we put the cost price of the land at $50, the settler, after paying for his land, would have $1,000 to $1,500 left. Assume that the clearing costs him $40 (or better say $50) per acre, he has just about sufficient capital left to plant his land with. Twenty acres planted with 50 trees (if apples) per acre, at 30 feet apart every way, would cost for the trees alone (1,000 of them), one-year-old trees, $150 to $250. Add to this the expense of planting, fencing, the support of a family during two years; for, even though the man succeeds in clearing 2 acres the first year and getting them planted with small fruits in the fall and with strawberries in the succeeding spring, he still has to wait two years before he will be able to get any returns. The amount of capital stated would obviously be inadequate. It should be put at least 50 per cent. higher, and probably that would not be enough. Indeed, in the British Columbia Government publication, "Agriculture in British Columbia" (p. 22), the initial cost of planting 20 acres with apple-trees is put at $2,489.40; and the total cost before the trees begin to yield a revenue at $4,838.22, or $242 per acre, the ground produce and small-fruit returns being assumed to cover the settler's living expenses. This more than justifies the moderation of my criticism.

Now, it is very probable that the writer of the paragraph quoted was proceeding on the assumption that the land would be paid for in four instalments, one of these being cash down, and the other three a bond upon the ranch at 6, or may be 7, per cent. Let us see how the case stands then. The settler, buying at $50 per acre, pays in cash $250. He clears 2 acres in each of the first two years at a cost of $40 per acre ($160), supporting himself meanwhile on his own capital. At the end of two years he has paid two further instalments of $250 each, plus interest ($575), and has spent $1,000 on his own living and $800 on fences, trees, implements, a house, and so forth. Consequently, he has spent altogether $2,785. And even if we assume that the settler does all the clearing with his own hands—a task almost impossible—he would still have spent nearly $300 more than his capital. Assuming, however, that he by some means keeps his expenditure below that limit and does not exceed. He will then be in the position of having exhausted his capital, with one instalment, plus interest, to be paid at the end of his third year. On the other hand, he will have 2 acres capable of giving him a return and 2 acres more ready to plant; but by this he has no capital left with which to buy trees. We have seen in the last chapter that Mr. Durr, near Cranbrook, after providing himself with vegetables, but vegetables only, for his family, sold off 3½ acres produce to the extent of $800. Our settler has only 2 acres capable of giving him a revenue; consequently, he will earn only $457. Now, even though he does raise his own vegetables, his living, with taxes, seed (potatoes, clover), plants, and trees, will more than absorb the amount he earns.

In this discussion everything has been put in the most favourable way for the settler. Nothing is allowed for contingent expenses, such as making water arrangements, travelling, hired help for cultivation, clothing, or for total or partial failure of small fruit bushes to bear the second year. Altogether, it is pretty manifest that the capital sum mentioned is not sufficient, and that it ought to be increased by at least 50 per cent. Then, it is to be remembered that this discussion is upon the foundation of the figures as to cost and prices supplied to me through the pamphlet mentioned, as well as other sources upon which I was drawing for information at the time. If I were to rediscuss the matter in the light of the actual prices which obtain to-day a 50 per cent. increase in the amount of capital stated to be necessary would not be enough. The land alone would cost, not $50, but $100 per acre. But with this I shall deal again towards the end of the book.

Let us now look at another estimate of cost, framed by a firm of land-agents interested in selling fruit-lands.

10 acres at $100 per acre	$1,000.00
Clearing	150.00
Ploughing	50.00
Trees	100.00
Planting	25.00
Cultivating for 3 years	300.00
	————
	$1,625.00

This tabular statement ignores fencing, cost of house and implements, and the settler's living expenses, and it puts the cost of clearing 100 per cent. too low. As a result, the amount of capital quoted ought to be at least doubled.

However, the printed statement from which I have quoted the tabular formula above goes on to say: "Should the purchaser do his own work and cultivate between the trees, and raise vegetables, etc., during the first years, he may not only obviate the cost of cultivating, pruning, etc., but may count on an annual income from the first year from his vegetable crops. The usual price of potatoes is 60 cents (2s. 6d.) per bushel in car-load lots, and at retail lots 90 cents per bushel is a low price. Tomatoes sell on the market at from 3 cents (1½d.) to 20 cents (10d.) per lb, depending entirely on how early in the season they are placed on the market. In the second year strawberries come in, peach-trees produce fruit in the third year, and apple-trees in the fourth. In addition . . . eggs sell at 40 cents (1s. 8d.) per dozen, and during the winter 75 cents (3s.) is a low price."