58 FUMIGATION FOR THE CITRUS WHITE FLY, 



county where the citrus-growing interests are of importance should 

 maintain an outfit of tents large enough for the needs of the orange 

 growers within its limits, and fumigation should be done at cost 

 under the direction of the county horticultural commission. 



FOR CHEMICALS. 



The principal item of expense in connection with fumigation is the 

 potassium cyanid. Fumigation was considered profitable in Cali- 

 fornia when this was sold in quantities for 65 cents per pound. At 

 present in lots of 100 pounds this can be procured for about 30 cents 

 per pound, while in ton lots the cost is from 20 to 23 cents per pound 

 in Florida. Sulphuric acid in iron drums containing about 1,500 

 pounds can be obtained for about 1 \ cents per pound. In carboys 

 containing about 200 pounds the cost is about 2 cents per pound. 



FOR LABOR. 



In California, labor is usually paid for by the hour. The fore- 

 man in charge of the outfit is generally paid about 40 cents per hour 

 and the remainder of the crew about 25 cents per hour. A crew of 

 seven men, which might be used to advantage with the method of 

 procedure herein recommended for use in fumigating for the white 

 fly, would cost $15.20 for a night's work of eight hours if wages were 

 paid at the above rates. These men could ordinarily handle from 

 10 to 15 tents of the largest sizes every forty-five minutes and fumi- 

 gate 80 to 120 trees in eight or nine hours. If 80 trees were treated, 

 the cost for labor would be about 19 cents per tree. If smaller tents 

 were used and handled with changing poles, the same crew could 

 treat 200 trees in eight hours at a cost for labor averaging about 7| 

 cents per tree. If six men proved sufficient to do this work, the cost 

 for labor would be about 1 cent lesis per tree. In California contract- 

 ors charge from 4 to 12 cents per tree for covering trees which can be 

 covered without the use of the braced uprights or derricks. These 

 prices include from the contractor's standpoint: First, cost of labor; 

 second, cost of wear and tear on tents; third, a reasonable profit. 

 Contractor's prices stated above are exclusive of about 3 or 3^ cents 

 per pound usually allowed as payment for handling the cyanid, the 

 chemicals being furnished by the owner of the grove. 



In estimating the expense for labor in fumigating a grove there 

 should be included, in addition to the labor in connection with cover- 

 ering the trees and generating the gas, an allowance for repairing 

 tents, hauling chemicals and water, and miscellaneous work. This 

 ordinarily ranges from 1 to 4 cents per tree, according to size. 



