38 



BULLETIN 614, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The comparatively large cost reported for the mulch-crop orchards 

 in the North Yakima district is due to the fact that a larger number 

 of the ranches happened to be on a ditch where the cost of water 

 maintenance is high. In the Zillah district the charge for water on 

 the Sunnyside Canal is less than for most of the ditches in the North 

 Yakima district. The difference here in the cost of maintenance 

 between the mulch-crop and clean-cultural orchards is due to the 

 fact that many orchardists practicing clean-cultural management 

 from whom data were obtained are on the Konawak Canal and have 

 a free water right. There is little difference between the number of 

 irrigations made on mulch-crop and on clean-cultural orchards, 

 although there seems to be a slight tendency (see Table XXXI) to 

 make more irrigations on the mulch-crop orchards. More labor, 

 however, is expended in looking after the irrigation on clean-cultural 

 than on mulch-crop orchards. Table XXX brings out the fact that 

 in both the North Yakima and Zillah districts more time is used in 

 examining the ditches and regulating the water on the small than on 

 the large orchards. 



Considering the records from both clean and mulch-crop orchards 

 in the North Yakima district, there is an average of 4.52 irrigations, 

 requiring 19.45 man-hours per acre, at a cost of $4.86; while in the 

 Zillah district there is an average of 3.70 irrigations, requiring 15.30 

 man-hours per acre, at a cost of S3. 83. For the entire valley the 

 records show an average of 4.14 irrigations, requiring 17.52 man- 

 hours per acre, at a cost of $4.38. 



Table XXXI. — Time chargeable for irrigation and pro rata water tax per acre for 120 



farms in Yakima Valley. 





North Yakima district. 



Zillah district. 



Management. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 irriga- 

 tions. 



Man- 

 hours. 



Labor 

 cost. 



Water 

 tax. 



Total 

 cost. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 irriga- 

 tions. 



Man- 

 hours. 



Labor 

 cost. 



Water 

 tax. 



Total 

 cost. 





4.50 

 4.57 

 4.52 



20. 30 

 17.72 

 19.45 



$5.08 

 4.43 



4.86 



$2.66 

 4.01 

 3.10 



$7.74 

 8.44 

 7.96 



3.66 

 3.80 

 3.70 



16.07 

 14.28 

 15.30 



$4.02 

 3.57 

 3.83 



$0.81 

 .92 



.86 



S4.83 

 4.49 





4.69 









North Yakima and Zillah districts. 



Management. 



Number 

 of irriga- 

 tions. 



Man- 

 hours. 



Labor 

 cost. 



Water 

 tax. 



Total 

 cost. 



Clean cultural 



4.14 

 4.13 

 4.14 



18.50 

 15.89 

 17.52 



$4.63 

 3.97 



4.38 



$1.87 

 2.36 

 2.06 



$6.50 





6.33 





6.44 







