COST OF PEODUCING APPLES IN WENATCHEE VALLEY, WASH. 9 



YIELDS. 



Estimates of yields were obtained for a period approximating five 

 years. In presenting data of this sort it is highly important that the 

 yield should be considered over as long a period as possible in order 

 to obtain a fair average for a district. Where very few orchards are 

 over 11 years of age, as was the case in the valley at the time of this 

 study, it is impossible to obtain a sufficient number of comparable 

 yields for any period other than that represented by trees from 7 to 

 11 years of age, inclusive. The average estimate of all yields from 

 orchards between these ages was obtained and considered as a fair 

 average yield for the valley. In computing this average, each age 

 is given the same weight, regardless of the year in which a given 

 orchard might be a certain age. For example, yields on orchards at 

 the time they were 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 years were averaged and this 

 average was used as the average yield for the vaUey. In this way 

 271 estimates were considered. Forty-seven were from orchards 7 

 years of age; 60 from orchards 8 years of age; 67, 9 years of age; 59, 

 10 years of age; and 38, 11 years of age. These estimates extended 

 over a period of 6 years; 8 of them in 1909, 34 in 1910, 61 in 1911, 

 71 in 1912, 75 in 1913, and 22 in 1914. Considering the factors 

 stated above, the average yield per acre of apple orchards in We- 

 natchee Valley with 81 trees per acre was 593 packed boxes. 



There is a tendency in some apple-producing regions toward alter- 

 nate bearing, and many times frosts, winds, insect pests, and diseases 

 have an effect on the annual yield of the district, but by taking yields 

 over a period of years on trees which are representative of a district 

 it is possible to obtain an average yield which is accurate enough to 

 furnish a basis for such a study as is here presented. 



There is no appreciable difference in yield between clean cultivated 

 and alfalfa orchards, nor could this be expected, since so few orchard- 

 ists had followed the cover-crop management for any considerable 

 period. 



There is considerable difference in yield between different varieties, 

 and no doubt there is a difference in the number of boxes of extra 

 fancy, fancy, and choice grades which arc packed from an acre of 

 the difFcrcnt varieties. But no account was taken of this, for it was 

 the purpose of the investigation merely to arrive at the average 

 annual cost of producing apples, grown in wcll-managetl commercial 

 appl(! orchards of the valley. 



LABOR. 



The average si/e fruit ranch in (h(^ Wenatcliee district is such l^mt 

 most of the labor, except at fnifvcst time, may l)e done by the ranch- 

 ers or l)y members of tlicif I'iiniihcs. lint little outside labor is hired. 

 Labor when (^mploycid by tin; month is ])iii(l from !i|;;>5 to .150, varying 

 r,s,r,uu" I'.iiii.Mo 17 " 2 



