COST OF PRODUCING APPLES IN YAKIMA VALLEY. 



41 



Propping (see Table XXXIII) is done any time throughout the 

 latter part of the growing season when the weight of the fruit has a 

 tendency to bear the limbs down so that there is danger of their 

 breaking. The props usually are made of 2- by 3- inch or 1- by 4- inch 

 strips between 8 and 12 feet in length, so notched at one end as to 

 hold up the limbs securely. The propping is done as the need pre- 

 sents itself. Pine and fir props may be obtained for $15 to $20 per 

 thousand feet. The amount of depreciation will vary to a consid- 

 erable extent, depending upon the care given them. Many of the 

 growers believe that, with proper handling and shelter, these props 

 would last from 10 to 15 years. 



Table XXXIII.- — Number of man-hours and horse-hours and cost per acre required for 

 propping orchards in the YaJcima Valley. 





Num- 

 ber of 

 rec- 

 ords. 



Per acre. 



Cost 

 per 

 tree. 



Per 

 cent 

 prop- 

 ping. 



District. 



Trees. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 man- 

 hours. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 horse- 

 hours. 



Cost. 



Under clean-cultural management : 



43 

 32 



75 



21 

 24 

 45 



64 

 56 

 120 



79.2 

 69.1 

 74.9 



76.3 

 67.0 

 71.3 



78.2 

 68.2 

 73.6 



5.32 

 2.93 

 4.30 



4.85 

 2.65 

 3.67 



5.16 

 2.81 

 4.06 



4.61 

 3.12 



3.98 



3.99 

 2.51 

 3.20 



4.41 

 2.86 

 3.69 



$2.02 

 1.20 



1.67 



1.81 

 1.04 

 1.40 



1.95 

 1.13 

 1.57 



SO. 026 

 .017 

 .022 



.024 

 .016 

 .020 



.025 

 .017 

 .021 



79.07 



Zillah 



50.00 





66.67 



Under mulch-crop management: 



North Yakima 



66.67 



Zillah 



33.33 





44.44 



All orchards: 

 . North Yakima 



75.00 



Zillah 



42.86 



North Yakima and Zillah 



60.00 







Several methods of handling props are practiced. On smaller 

 plantings some men carry their props into the orchard and prop 

 where needed. Others use a team for hauling out the props, placing 

 them in convenient piles throughout the orchard. Setting up props 

 is a separate operation. Many of the men haul the props out and 

 set them as the hauling is being done. When these props are hauled, 

 a crew of one man and two horses is used ordinarily. So few men 

 followed any one particular method that it is impossible to give a 

 fair average for any particular crew in performing this operation. 



As a rule, after the season is over the props are hauled and piled 

 in a sheltered place. Few men allow their props to remain in the 

 orchard. A little morp time is required for this operation in the 

 clean-cultured than in the mulch-crop orchards, owing mostly to 

 the difference in yield. 



Considering all records that were taken, regardless of the method 

 used, the annual propping charge is 4.06 man-hours and 3.69 horse- 

 hours, at a cost of $1.57 per acre. 



