COST OF PEODUCIISTG APPLES IN WEISTATCHEE VALLEY, WASH. 19 



The factors which, appreciably affect, the time required for thinning 

 may be summed up as number of trees per acre, variety, size of tree, 

 age, method of pruning adopted, water supply, soil condition, method 

 of thinning (by shears or by hand), density of foliage, equipment, 

 hail, tendency to alternate bearing, and the quantity of fruit removed. 

 Considering all records, the average time per acre required for this 

 operation was 53.29 man-hours at a cost of $13.32. 



PROPPING. 



The regularity of the apple crop in the valley necessitates the 

 practice of propping annually. This is done any time thi'oughout the 

 growing season when the weight of the fruit bears the limbs down so 





"tf 



¥■■ 



■ ■? . 







1 



fn 





1 



ii3#yai 



1 



Fig. 4.— Thecent,(;r-iioi(!-:in(i-\viro method of propping. ' This tree is a 3-year Winesap graft on a 5-year-ol(J 



Wagener stock. 



that there is danger of their breaking. Four methods of propping are 

 used by the orchardists: The ccntor-ring-and-wire, the cross-wire, 

 the conter-pole-and-wire, and the single-pf)lo pro]). 



In the center-ring-and-wire method (A, fig. 3) screw eyes are placed 

 in the main limbs at some distance above the crotch of the tree. 

 Wires are attached to the screw oyos and brought to a ring placed 

 approximately in the center of the tree. This holds the tree in shape 

 and prevents the l)reakirig of the limbs at the time when the crop is on. 



In the cross-wiro method (B, fig. 3) screw eyes are i)laced in tlio 

 main limbs at some distance a])Ovo the crotch. From each screw eye 

 a wire extends and is attached to a limb opposite^ or nearly so. This 

 answers the same purj)Oso as the former method. 



in the center-pole-aiid-wire method ((', fig. 3) screw oyos are j)lacod 

 in the main limT)s, to which aj-e attached lof)g strands of wire. At 



