24 



BULLETIN" 446, U. S. DEPAETMENT OP AGEICULTUKE. 



MISCELLANEOUS LABOR. 



There are many items of labor which in themselves do not appear 

 to amount to a great deal, but in the aggregate take considerable 

 time and make a cost which is recognized by many ranchers. Allow- 

 ing these smaller needs or demands of the ranch to go unheeded for 

 too long a period may later mean much expense of labor and money. 



The principal items considered under this head are painting 

 wounds where large limbs are removed from the trees, removing 

 water sprouts, cleaning irrigation lateral ditches, and hoeing around 

 the trees. These, together with a few others, make a miscellaneous 

 labor charge per acre of 9.06 man-hours, or a cost of S2.27. (Table 

 XVIII.) 



Table XVIII. — Labor and cost chargeable per acre prior to harvest on orchards under clean 

 cultural management {57 ranches). 



Operation. 



Hours per acre. 



Cost per acre. 



Cost per 



Man. 



Horse. 



Man. 



Horse. 



Total. 



box. 



Cultivation 



28.52 

 34. 37 



4.32 

 40.31 

 11.86 

 19.01 

 63.29 



8.13 

 19.99 



9.06 



50.82 



$7.13 

 8.59 

 1.08 



10.08 

 2.97 

 4.75 



13.32 

 2.03 

 5.00 

 2.27 



S7.62 



S14. 75 

 8.59 

 2.27 



10.08 

 5.14 

 6.36 



13.32 

 2.84 

 7.02 

 2.27 





Irrigation 





Manuring 



7.92 



1.19 





Priming 





Hauling brush 



14.46 

 10.73 



2.17 

 1.61 





Propping 





Thinning 





Spraying (lime-sulphur) 



5.42 

 13.45 



.81 

 2.02 





Spraying (lead-arsenate) 





Miscellaneous . . . 













Total 



228. 86 



102. 80 



57.22 



15.42 



72.64 



SO. 1225 







MULCH CROPS. 



At the time these studies were made there was an increasing 

 tendency to put down the orchards to alfalfa or some other legume. 

 An indication of the cost of operation on 30 ranches under this 

 management is given here. 



Most alfalfa orchardists begin the cultural work on their orchards 

 by a thorough use of the disk harrow as early in the spring as soil 

 conditions permit. It is the purpose of this disking to split and 

 spread the crowns of the plants, thus causing them to stool and send 

 out new plants. The spike-tooth or the spring-tooth harrow and 

 the float are used following the disk harrow, to fine and level the 

 soil, making it more fit for plant growth and bringing it into shape 

 for irrigation. Following this cultivation, furrows, or creases, are 

 made for irrigation with a shovel plow or 6-foot cultivator. A few 

 of the men plowed the alfalfa under once in three or four years and 

 then reseeded it, but this is the exception. (See Table XIX.) 



