Heading of barrels 



Nailing of boxes 



Paper 



Hauling container to orchard 



Hauling container to packing shed 



Hauling from farm to market 



Hauling from farm to station 



Hauling to storage 



Hauling from storage 



Freight 



Storage 



Selling 

 It will be noted that the costs of marketing are here considered as beginning 

 with the cost of picking and including all actual expenditures till the fruit 

 is in the hands of the first purchaser, whether he be buyer, wholesaler, re- 

 tailer or consumer. These costs vary greatly with different growers and to 

 a certain extent vfith. the locality. 



Picking. 



The most common cost of picking a bushel of apples, as reported by the 

 producers visited, was about 8 cents in 1923. The range of costs for this 

 operation was from 3 cents to 20 cents. Of the 62 reporting, 31 paid less 

 than 10 cents a bushel for picking, 14 paid from 10 to 14 cents, and 17 paid 

 from 15 to 20 cents. The average cost w-as between 10 and 11 cents a bushel. 

 Sorting. 



Sorting, grading and packing costs vary even more widely than the picking 

 costs, the range being from 3 cents to 42 cents a bushel. The average cost 

 was 13 cents; 43 per cent of the growers report this charge as less than 10 

 cents, 31 per cent paid between 10 and 14 cents, 11 per cent paid between 15 

 and 20 cents, while 13 per cent report that it cost more than 20 cents a bushel. 

 The most common cost was 8 1/3 cents. 



It must be recognized that these figures include all types of sorting, grading 

 and packing; those that are merely put into the container as well as those 

 that are sorted, graded, wrapped and packed, the utmost attention being given 

 to each detail. Obviously there must be wide differences between costs. Four- 

 teen per cent of the apples sold (ungraded) were reported as having cost an 

 average of 5 cents a bushel for such sorting and packing as was done. This 

 is 37 cents less than the highest charge reported. 



Storage. 



Comparatively few growers stored apples and only 15 of these were able 

 to give costs of storage. The range of this charge was from 3 cents to 32 

 cents a bushel, but includes farm storage as well as hired cold storage, the 

 farm storage being estimated on the basis of interest on the cost of the storage. 

 The average cost of storage per bushel of apples stored was 23 cents. This 

 average is much increased by the costs of a few growers, as one-third of those 

 reporting storage costs paid less than 10 cents a bushel. 



Containers. 



More than half the costs of marketing apples in Massachusetts may often 

 be charged to the container. The average price of barrels to 45 growers, who 

 sell in this way, amounts to 23 cents per bushel sold. The prices reported 

 ranged as high as 85 cents a barrel including cooperage and deliver^^ Some 

 growers buy second-hand barrels when these are obtainable, and some report 

 that the barrels are returned by the retailer or the consumer. 



Boxes cost an average of 21 2/3 cents as reported by 30 growers, and the 

 most common price is 22 cents. Baskets are reported in several sizes, holding 



