March, 1934] Studies in Economics of Apple Orcharding 19 



One man conkl not expect to pick more than 50 mature Mcintosh trees 

 because out of the ten days that usually comprise the season, some are 

 bound to be Sundays, holidays, or days with unsuitable weather. The 

 same man probably could also pick 50 Gravensteins and nearly 100 Bald- 

 wins. Thus, if a man were to plan on 2,000 permanent trees, he might 

 estimate that in an average season using a uniform crew he could harvest 

 600 Mcintosh. 1.000 Baldwin and 400 Gravenstein trees. While this is 

 most advantageous from the harvesting ])oint of view, actually, on ac- 

 count of greater expected returns from the Mcintosh variety than from 

 others, he might well plant 1.000 Mcintosh, 800 Baldwin, and only 200 

 Gravenstein. The extra costs of harvesting on account of using more 

 equipment and more men for a short time would be offset by the greater 

 returns from a combination in which Mcintosh represented a large pro- 

 portion of the trees. In fact, it is advantageous not to assemble a large 

 crew at once but to start on a limited planting of early varieties with a 

 nucleus of most experienced workers. Then as volume increases others 

 can be assimilated and trained from time to time. To assemble a large 

 crew suddenly is expensive, and the profitableness of the several sorts 

 should be considered carefully before committing oneself rather perma- 

 nently to that policy. 



Prior to Harvest 



In Figure 9 the labor on apples for the season of 1927 on four typical 

 farms is distributed by ten-day periods. This is labor performed by regular 

 crews, in contrast to harvesting, which is done mainly by extra day or 

 short term help. With the harvest omitted, there is httle uniformity be- 

 tween farms; this indicates that there is much leeway in performing most 

 of the orchard tasks. On Farm 2 there is a decided peak in the spring 

 beginning about March 20, and a minor peak in August. On Farm 7 the 

 spring peak is not so pronounced as the July and August period, due in 

 considerable measure to thinning. On Farm 1, where there is a large 

 planting of Wealthy apples, the July-August peak is prominent. There 

 are some Wealthy trees on Farms 2 and 7, also. When thinning is nol 

 practiced the labor requirement in the mid-summer months is low. 



The distribution of labor in pruning and spraying operations, which re- 

 quire special skill, is shown in relation to other orchard work. Farms 2 

 and 7 present decided peaks of pruning labor, but at different seasons. 

 This operation can be done at any time from December 1 to about the 

 middle of April.- The peaks represent a convenient time, rather than 

 actual definite demand. 



While the total demand for skilled labor in spraying is not large, it is 

 of great importance because of the very definite and brief periods during 

 which certain sprays must be applied. So exacting are the requirements 

 for skilled labor and expensive equipment that if successful disease and 

 insect control is to be achieved, spraying must at all times be placed first in 

 relation both to other crops and other orchard work. Even if labor is much 

 needed on other crops, the spraying operation should not be neglected. 



Even so. there does not seem to be as much similarity between larnis 

 in time of spraying as one would expect. The distribution of labor for 

 this operation is shown by the black area in Figure 9. The method of 

 classifying time by 10-day periods might accentuate differences in time 



