COST OF PEODUCHSTG APPLES IN YAKIMA VALLEY. 



49 



In the case of the 21 orchards under mulch-crop management in the 

 North Yakima district the charge was 197.45 man-hours and 76.23 

 horse-hours, while on the 24 orchards under similar management in 

 the Zillah district the charge was 202.76 man-hours and 74.24 horse- 

 hours. 



The net labor cost up to harvest time was 34.82 per cent of the total 

 net labor cost in the North Yakima district, while in the Zillah dis- 

 trict it was 38.72 per cent. 



The total maintenance charge per acre on the 75 orchards under 

 clean cultivation was 222.55 man-hours and 100.38 horse-hours, 

 while on the 45 orchards under mulch-crop management it was 

 200.29 man-hours and 75.18 horse-hours. 



Fig. 8.— One of the larger packing sheds in the Yakima district. 



Considering all records in the valley, the total net labor cost up to 

 harvest time was $61.22 per acre, or $0.1417 per box. This is 41.08 per 

 cent of the total net labor cost. 



HANDLING THE CROP. 



"Handling the crop" includes all the labor necessary to deliver it 

 at a local association or shipping point. This labor includes the haul- 

 ing of the box shook to the ranch, the making up of the box, hauling 

 empty boxes to and full boxes from the orchard during harvesting 

 and picking, and all packing-house labor, including sorting, packing, 

 nailing, waiting, foreman, etc. 



Twelve of the 64 orchardists visited in the North Yakima district 

 hauled their picked apples to a local association, where they were 

 sorted, graded, and packed at a stipulated price (see fig. 8), which 

 included box, paper, nails, and labeling, or a complete packed box. 

 This price ranged between $0.25 and $0.28 per packed box. 



