THE COST OF GROWING APPLES 



crease in the price of land, the amount of Inter- 

 est has also varied. The same Is true of the 

 equipment charge which has steadily Increased 

 each year. The average valuation of the land 

 for the ten-year period was $117.15 an acre. 

 This means an annual Interest charge of $5.86 

 per acre, or 83^ cents a barrel. The equip- 

 ment charge, which Is Interest, repairs, and de- 

 preciation on the machinery used In the or- 

 chard, amounts to more than 6^ cents a bar- 

 rel, or $4.65 per acre. Taxes and Insurance 

 on the buildings distributed per acre for the 

 farm average $.78 per acre, or a trifle over 

 one cent per barrel. These costs have also in- 

 creased In the last few years. 



Labor Is the largest single Item. For the 

 first four years this was estimated on the basis 

 of the cost for the last six years, for which more 

 careful records were kept. It Is computed at 

 Its actual cost to us on the farm, which was 

 153^ cents an hour for men and 13^^ cents an 

 hour for horses. This amounts to $4.25 per 

 day for man and team. The cost of the labor 

 to grow, pick, pack, and market a barrel of 

 apples was 55 cents, or $38.63 per acre with 

 an average yield of 70 barrels per acre. 



To sum up these Items of cost we find that 



175 



