COST OF PRODUCING APPLES IN YAKIMA VALLEY. 



35 



In the mulch-crop orchards of the Yakima district the annual 

 charge for creasing is about 30 per cent of the total cultivation cost, 

 exclusive of plowing, while in the Zillah district it is approximately 

 41 per cent. This difference is due to the fact that more cultivation 

 is given alfalfa orchards of the Yakima district than those in the 

 Zillah district. 



In the mulch-crop orchards the number of creasings made varied 

 considerably, just as was the case with the clean-cultivation orchards. 

 However, the majority of men make only one creasing and this 

 immediately following the early spring cultivation. A few, how- 

 ever, practice replacing the furrows after each cutting of alfalfa. 

 Exceptions to this are noted, for 1 orchardist made five and 5 made 

 four creasings. There were, however, 32 who made one, 5 who 

 made two, and 2 who made three creasings in the orchards under 

 mulch-crop management. It is often necessary to make extra 

 creasings . where orchards are constantly pastured, especially with 

 hogs, which damage the furrows to a considerable extent. 



The shovel-plow is the most common implement used in making 

 furrows in the mulch-crop orchards in the valley. In the Yakima 

 district it is customary to use a crew of one man and one horse, while 

 in the Zillah district it is most common to use a crew on one man 

 and two horses. 



Considering all growers using mulch-crop management, 5 used 

 the 6-foot cultivator for making creases, 36 used a shovel-plow, 

 and 4 an alfalfa marker. So very few men used the 6-foot cultivator 

 that the cost of making furrows with that implement in the mulch- 

 crop orchards is not comparable with the cost where the same imple- 

 ment is used in clean-cultivated orchards. However, there were 

 enough shovel-plow records to make figures for that implement 

 comparable. Referring to Table XXIX, it would seem that in 

 both cases the cost of making furrows in the mulch-crop orchards is 

 somewhat lower than in the orchards under clean-cultural manage- 

 ment. Considering all records under mulch-crop management, 

 the total charge for creasing is 2.73 man-hours and 4.30 horse- 

 hours per acre, at a cost of $1.33. 



Table XXIX. 



■Total man-hours and horse-hours chargeable and the cost per acre for all 

 creasings where 120 records are considered. 





Clean-cultural management. 



Mulch-crop management. 



District. 



Man- 

 hours. 



Horse- 

 hours. 



Cost per Man- 

 acre, hours. 



Horse- 

 hours. 



Cost per 

 acre. 



North Yakima 



5.12 



4.34 

 4.79 



7.83 

 6.42 

 7.23 



$2.45 2.47 

 2.05 2.95 

 2.27 "> ra 



3.48 

 5.02 

 4.30 



$1.14 

 1.49 

 1 33 



Zillah 



North Yakima and Zillah 











