376 



The Commercial Apple Industry 



TABLE XXI 



PRUNING AND BRUSH DISPOSAL KELATIVE TIME AND COSTS IN 

 DIFFERENT KEGIONS 



In all apple regions, pruning usually represents at 

 least one-fourth of all labor expended up until the time 

 of picking. Although the northwestern growers spend 

 more labor to the acre in pruning, it must be remembered 

 that there are nearly twice as many trees to the acre as in 

 such regions as western New York. Cost production 

 studies reveal that the importance of pruning is generally 

 recognized. The amount of pruning necessary varies 

 widely with the variety. In the Hood River Valley, the 

 Yellow Newtown and Esopus Spitzenburg which predom- 

 inate in this region do not require nearly as much pruning 

 labor as the more vigorous or rampant growing varieties. 



Pruning cost a bushel of marketable fruit produced 

 averages from 5 to 8 cents, of which about 2 cents is rep- 

 resented by the cost of handling brush. 



Soil management. 



Different systems of soil management make the cost of 

 this operation exceedingly variable. One would imagine 

 with the general intensive cultural methods of the North- 

 west that soil management would represent a considerable 

 cost item in this region. As a matter of fact, the value 



