SPRAY MANAGEMENT 27 



year and more than inadequate the next. If an operator sets out 2000 

 permanent trees, he would probably get along the first two or three 

 years with a small hand outfit. About two sprays would be sufficient. 

 A small 100-gallon sprayer would be used from about the fourth year to 

 the twelfth year when it would lack capacity to cover the orchard ade- 

 quately and quickly. Thus, this sprayer might last eight years, being 

 used at only part capacity at first and at full capacity at the end. At 

 about the twelfth year a 200-gallon outfit might be purchased which 

 would have sufficient capacity for the next five years when an addi- 

 tional sprayer or a larger one would need to be purchased. Even with 

 the best of planning, it often happens that as the orchard grows spray 

 equipment is not used to its fullest capacity for short periods. 



Size of crew 



The problem of whether to use a two-man or a one-man crew with 

 a small machine — a two- or a three-man crew with large machines — 

 may be one of convenience in getting the job done. If the sprayer is 

 available on the farm and represents ample capacity to cover the or- 

 chard in the time available, the total cost associated with its operation 

 will change very little if it is operated fewer or more hours per day. 

 Whenever the investment in a spray outfit is made, much of the total 

 cost is fixed and tends to continue whether or not it is used. The rate 

 per hour will depend on how much it is used. (Its greater use would 

 mean a declining rate per hour.) 



In like manner, under actual operating conditions, if the labor is 

 available on the farm, it is difficult to make best decisions by merely es- 

 timating the labor and machine cost at so much per hour. 



Where wages are high and there is a large orchard area to cover, 

 the large machines are very efficient in the use of man labor and tend 

 to reduce the total cost. In addition, on account of the larger pumps 

 and high pressure, the quality of the job is usually better. However, the 

 difference in cost in operating medium-sized and larger sprayers is not 

 sufficient seriously to handicap the grower with smaller machines. Some 

 of the other costs are important and are not closely associated with size 

 of the orchard. 



From the records available, it is estimated that with a 100-gallon 

 spray outfit and a two-man crew, .1 machine hours and .2 man hours will 

 be required in the season per bushel of apples. The same outfit operated 

 by one man. .14 machine hours, .14 man hours will be required. Two 

 men cover the orchard in a shorter period and this may be the important 

 consideration. On the other hand, if the orchard is small and extra 

 labor is scarce, the operator might well spray alone. 



The estimates of costs on seven combinations in Table 5 are based 

 on arbitrary assumptions of 40 cents per hour for man labor and $1.50, 

 $2.00, $2.50, and $3.50 respectively per hour for the use of 100-gallon, 

 150-gallon, 200-gallon, and 300-gallon outfits. These assumptions would 

 require that the size of the sprayer was well adjusted to the size of the 

 orchard and would be used near capacity, and, in addition, that men 

 were available for spraving at a definite wage whenever needed. 

 (Table 5.) 



