May, 1931] Studies in Economics of Apple Orcharding 



35 



$774.96 per 1.000 mature tree units, (Table 24). The lowest cost was 

 .4^376.51 OD Farm 11 and the highest was $1,089.70 on Farm 2. 



On the basis of normal yield, the average cost was $129.63 per 1,000 

 boxes and on the basis of actual yield, the cost was $117.65 per 1,000 

 boxes. 



BRUSH DISPOSAL 



The operation of brush disposal is not important from an orchard 

 management viewpoint because it can be done at anytime within a 

 rather long period in the spring, does not require skill, and the total 

 time used is not large. On most farms the work was fitted into or 

 between operations that were more definite as to time. There are 

 usually many days in the spring when the weather is too disagreeable 

 to prune, and yet when one can pick up brush to advantage. Then 

 again, up to the period of the first spray the task can be fitted into 

 slack periods. 



179.1 



Ay..l70,2. 



1283 



74.2 



7tb 



/■-■/'■/ 



18. 



82. 







13.4 



6 7 8 



Farm Number 



10 



11 



\Z 



Fig. 8. Man hours used in brush disposal per unit of 1,000 mature trees 



Hauling and burning of the brush takes on the average about one-third as 



much time as pruning. The use of low drags with means of unloading 



without handling the brush by hand are the principal economies. 



The brush is removed in various ways. Orchard 1 used an ordinary 

 hay rack. Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 7 employed various sorts of low floats. 

 Farm 7 used a chain to unload. The chain is laid on the float before 

 the brush is loaded, and then the horse power is used to roll the brush 

 off. Farm 5 burns some brush in the orchard on account of the diffi- 

 culty of getting around in rough and rocky positions. On the small 

 orchards. Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 6, some brush was left on the edge of the 

 field. 



Man Hours 



Brush hauling accounted for approximately 8 per cent, of the 

 man labor prior to harvest, as compared to 26 per cent, for pruning. 

 In other words, one hour was required for disposing of brush to each 

 three hours of pruning. In some of the small orchards with scatter- 

 ing trees, practically no effort was made in disposal of brush, while 

 in other orchards the time on brush disposal amounted to 60 per cent, 

 as much as the pruning requirement. 



