52 



BULLETIN" 614, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



been more noticeable; for, no matter how large a crop may be, there 

 is a limit to the amount of fruit the average picker is able to pick. 



On the farms studied in the North Yakima district 106.62 hours 

 were required to pick an acre yielding an average of 462 packed boxes, 

 at a cost of $26.66, or $0.0577' per packed box; while in the Zfflah 

 district, with an average yield of 398 packed boxes per acre 104.21 

 hours were required, at a cost of $26.05, or $0.0655 per packed box. 



In the valley as a whole, all records considered, the total charge 

 per acre for picking, with an average yield of 432 packed boxes, 

 was 105.50 man-hours, or $26.38, or $0.0611 per packed box. 



Fig. 10.— Hauling the filled loose boxes from the orchard to the packing shed. Trucks are used on 



long hauls. 



The cost of picking in the valley- is 30.05 per cent of the total net 

 handling cost, or 17.70 per cent of the total net annual labor cost, or 

 7.63 per cent of the total net annual cost of production. 



Table XXXVIII.— Influence of yield on picking time and cost on 120 farms in the 



Yakima Valley. 



Yield per acre in packed boxes. 



Number 

 of or- 

 chards. 



Packed 

 box 

 yield 

 per 

 acre. 



Loose 

 boxes 

 in 10 

 hours. 



Cost 

 per 

 acre. 



Cost 



per 

 tree. 



Cost per 



packed - 



box. 



Cost 

 per 

 loose 

 box. 





10 

 18 

 31 

 26 

 13 

 22 

 120 



164.64 

 241.49 

 346. 33 

 44S. 25 

 544. 28 

 744. 08 

 432. 00 



66.60 

 56.57 

 GO. 00 

 63.14 

 64.65 

 60. 78 

 61.38 



$9.27 



16.02 



21.66 



26. 64 



31.56 



45. 89 ' 



26.38 



10.14 

 .23 

 .31 

 .37 

 .38 

 .55 

 .39 



$0. 0503 

 .0663 

 .0625 

 .0594 

 . 05S0 

 .0017 

 .0611 



SO. 0375 



201 to 300 



.0442 



301 to 400 



.0417 



401 to 500 



.0396 



501 to 600 



.0387 



Over 600 



.0411 





.0407 







