May, 1931] Studies in Economics of Apple Orcharding 69 



speeded up by training; and instructing the pickers. On several 

 farms the efficiency of hauling couUI be increased by making a wagon 

 or truck that could be loaded or uidoaded by one man from the ground. 

 Most of the larger growers were equipped with rollers to get the 

 boxes from the load to the storage. 



GRADING AND PACKING 



On five farms practically all the apples were graded and packed on 

 the farm, but since there were differences in the type of grading and 

 packing, any comparison is not significant. Farm 2 had a large crop 

 in 1926 which strained the capacity of the warehouse and caused a 

 great deal of extra work in getting apples to the grader. In this case 

 the fruit was stored and then graded and packed by the regular help 

 as needed for the market. In 1928, the operator of this farm built 

 additional space and graded and packed not only the apples of that 

 fai'iii but about 10,000 bushels in addition. In the first two years, 

 8,023 hours were used in grading and packing 16,301 boxes of apples; 

 this is about 492 hours per 1,000 boxes. In 1928, 6,469 hours were 

 employed in grading and packing 20,800 boxes, or only 311 hours per 

 1,000 boxes. 



Farm 7 graded and packed direct from the field; 7,589 hours were 

 required in grading, packing and piling in storage approximately 

 24,272 boxes of apples. This is about 312 hours per 1,000 boxes. 

 Farm 9 with a small hand-grader and a very small crew used 1,244 

 hours in grading and packing the equivalent of 3,250 boxes. This is 

 about 383 hours per 1,000 boxes. 



Farm 10 with a small hand-grader used 929 hours in packing 2,030 

 boxes the first two years and in 1928 with modern power-driven equip- 

 ment used 238 hours in packing 688 boxes. The difference between 

 458 hours and 346 hours per 1,000 boxes is not entirely comparable, 

 on account of better grading the last year and difference in quality of 

 apples. 



Farm 12 used 721 hours in grading and packing 4,128 boxes, or 174 

 hours per 1,000 boxes. 



On the five farms where apples were packed, the labor in grading 

 and packing apples, and nailing and stacking the boxes averaged 351 

 hours per 1,000 boxes. 



YIELDS 



What are the factors that make for good yields of good apples? 

 I^'arms 2 and 4 work iptensively, putting much labor into pruning and 



On one farm an accurate record was kept of the labor cost of packing 

 2,178 boxes of apples. The fruit was separated into four grades, the first 

 and second being put up in a diagonal count pack each apple individually 

 wrapped as is customary with western box apples; the third was "jumbled" 

 in boxes, and the fourth (ciders) sokl in bulk. At actual wages paid, the 

 labor cost spread over the boxed fruit only amounted to 13.3 cents per box. 

 The cost of boxes, paper, use of machinery, light and power increase this 

 to an approximate total of 45 cents per box for the first two grades and 

 about 35 cents for the third grade on which a cheaper box and no paper 

 was used. 



