Cost of Production 379 



I labor is distributed over the average yield, it amounts to 

 less than 5 cents a box. When one considers the higher 

 annual yields and the greatly improved quality directly 

 due to thinning, it may readily be seen that to omit thin- 

 ning is to cut costs in the wrong direction. 



^ From the standpoint of economy, the writers are con- 

 vinced that not only will thinning improve quality, but 

 that it will actually lower cost of production by increasing 

 annual yields. 



Spraying. 



The cost of spraying is discussed in Chapter X. 



HABVESTITTG COSTS 



Harvesting costs include all the labor and material costs 

 incident to picking, packing and delivering fruit to the 

 station. These represent from 40 to 50 per cent of the 

 cost of producing apples. It might be stated here that 

 fixed costs, such as interest on investment, represent about 

 20 to 25 per cent, while maintenance costs for such opera- 

 tions as thinning and spraying, represent from 25 to 30 

 per cent of the total cost of production. 



In Table XXIV is shown the amount of labor neces- 

 sary for harvesting crops in several different regions and 

 also the cost a bushel for labor and material incident to 

 harvesting. It is seen that all harvesting costs make up 

 from 45 to 50 per cent of the total cost of production. 



It is interesting to note that labor cost for harvesting 

 boxed apples is but little greater than for barreled apples, 

 while five years ago it was nearly 100 per cent greater. 

 Labor rates have increased more proportionately in the 

 barrel apple regions than in the box sections. It now costs 

 most barrel sections nearly 25 cents a barrel for picking. 



