50 



BULLETIN" 614, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Where all records taken in the valley are considered, the total net 

 labor cost per acre for handling was $87.79 or 25 per cent of the total 

 annual net cost of production. 



PICKING. 



Picking is usually begun in the early part of September on a few 

 early varieties, but the most intensive harvesting comes with Jonathan 

 picking about the middle of September and continues well into 

 November, or until the "Winesaps are picked. The fruit on a tree is 

 usually harvested with one picking. However, some orchardists 

 make two or three pickings from the trees of the red varieties. In this 

 way it is usually possible to get a crop of better color and size than 

 with one picking. 



All picking is done by hand. An 8- to 14-foot ladder and 18-quart 

 picking pail or canvas bag constitute the picker's equipment. The 

 bag is suspended directly in front of the picker by means of shoulder 

 straps. The bottom of the bag is formed by a flap of the canvas 

 which is held in place by a snap and ring. By unsnapping the ring 

 the apples are allowed to roll out of the bottom of the bag into the box. 

 The majority of growers use this type of picking sack. 



Table XXXVII. 



-Number of boxes ■picked in 10 hours and cost ver box and per acre on 

 the farms studied in Yakima Valley. 





Clean-cultural management. 



Mulch-crop management. 



District. 



Loose 

 boxes in 

 10 hours. 



Cost per 

 loose 

 box. 



Cost per 



packed 



box. 



Cost per 

 acre. 



Loose 

 boxes in 

 10 hours. 



Cost per 

 loose 

 box. 



Cost per 



packed 



box. 



Cost per 

 acre. 



• 

 Zillah 55.71 



SO. 0390 

 .0449 



SO. 0584 

 .0673 



$27. 74 

 28.33 



66.60 

 59.81 



SO. 0376 

 .0418 



SO. 0563 

 .0627 



S24.44 

 23.01 





Combined management. 



District. 



Loose 

 boxes in 

 10 hours. 



Cost per 

 loose 

 box. 



Cost per 



packed 



box. 



Cost per 

 acre. 





64.98 

 57.26 



SO. 0385 

 .0437 



$0. 0577 

 .0655 



S26. 66 

 26.05 



Zillah 





Practically all picking is done by man day labor, at the rate of 

 from $0,225 to $0. 25 per hour. A few exceptions were reported where 

 contract picking was done at from $0,035 to $0.04 per loose box, 

 but none of the orchardists considered in this study hired their pick- 

 ing done in this way. Ordinarily a man will pick between 50 and 

 75 loose boxes in 10 hours, varying with the crop (yield per tree), 

 the variety, the size, the age of tree, etc. 



Table XXXVII gives the variations in the number of boxes that 

 usually are picked in a day in the North Yakima and Zillah dis- 



