COST OF PKODUCING A.PPLES IN HOOD RIVER VALLEY. 



41 



per box. Day labor, however, is generally more satisfactory, as 

 the apples are more carefully handled than when picked by the box. 

 Several factors influence the time required in picking, such as 

 the variety, the age and size of the tree, and the condition of the 

 fruit. The average time for all growers, with an average yield of 

 222 packed boxes, is 56 hours per acre, at a cost of $12.63, a cost 

 per loose box of $0.0379 and per packed box of $0.0569, or nearly 6 

 cents per box. 



Table XV.- 



-Influcnce of size of orchard on picking time (5-) farms, Hood 

 River Valley ) . 



Size of orchard. 



Number 

 orchards. 



Boxes 

 per acre. 



Loose 

 boxes in 

 10 hours 

 per man. 



Cost per 

 acre. 



Cost per 



packed 



box. 



Cost per 

 loose box. 





4 

 25 

 19 



6 

 54 



280.9 

 227.7 

 211 

 196. 5 

 222 



59.8 

 59.5 

 59.1 

 59.4 

 59.4 



$15. 85 

 12.91 

 12. 05 

 11.17 

 12.63 



$0. 0564 

 . 0567 

 .0571 

 . 0568 

 .0569 



$0. 0376 





.0378 





.0381 





.0379 





.0379 







The size of orchard and the yield per acre are two factors which 

 would be expected to influence time required in picking. However, 

 in the case of the farms studied this is not borne out by results, 

 which show a remarkable uniformity in cost per box regardless of 

 size of orchard or of yield. Table XV shows the cost of picking 

 according to size of orchard, and Table XVI shows time and cost ac- 

 cording to yield. It should be stated here, however, that the yield per 

 acre would undoubtedly have affected the picking cost if the trees 

 in general had been large, entailing much shifting of the ladders. 

 This was noted in individual cases too scattering to materially affect 

 the averages. 



Table XVI. — Influence of yield on picking time and costs (54 farms.) 



Yield (packed boxes). 



Number 



of 

 orchards. 



Boxes 

 per acre. 



Boxes in 

 10 hours 

 per man. 



Cost per 

 acre. 



Cost per 



packed 



box. 



150 boxes and under 



11 



10 

 17 

 7 

 6 

 3 



115.0 

 177.6 

 219.6 

 270.0 

 335.2 

 440.8 



58.1 

 68.0 

 63.6 

 53.7 

 57.3 

 52.7 



S6.68 

 8.82 

 11.66 

 16.97 

 19.78 

 28.24 



80. 0581 



151 to 200 boxes 



.0497 



201 to 250 boxes 



.0531 



251 to 300 boxes 



.0629 



301 to 400 boxes 



.0590 



Over 400 



.0641 







All records 



54 



222.0 



59.4 



12.63 



.0569 







These tables show averages for hired pickers working by the day. 

 They would show different results if piecework were under consider- 

 ation. There is no doubt that the average picker can pick more 

 boxes per day in heavily loaded orchards than in those with a light 

 yield. The fact that they do not when hired by the day may be 



