14 



BULLETIN 636, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



MARKETS AND PRICES. 



The apples of the Payette Valley and the immediate region have of 

 late years returned the grower varying prices per box f. o. b. shipping 

 station. The average price received by these 38 growers was $1.06 per 

 packed box in 1910, $0.95 in 1911, $0.62 in 1912, $1.02 in 1913, and 

 $0.37 in 1914, or an average for the five years of $0,804. The aver- 

 age annual cost of production per box, considering the average yield 

 over these five years, is $0.7111. In cases of low prices there is gen- 

 erally a higher yield, and consequently the cost of production is 

 reduced somewhat for that year. However, in 1912 and 1914 the 

 cost of production was greater than the price received for fruit. 

 These figures refer to the price for packed fruit received by the grower 

 f. o. b. shipping point. Only on general farms and in tfre case of 

 men with considerable working capital, can growers weather years 

 with such disastrous fruit prices as those of the year 1914. 



The fruit in this region is marketed in three grades — extra fancy, 

 fancy, and C grade — as is done in some other regions of the Northwest. 

 The growers have had many difficult marketing problems to face, in 

 common with other Northwest regions. 



ORCHARD MANAGEMENT. 



MANURING. 



Manuring is practiced by 63 per cent, or 24 out of the 38 growers. 

 In the case of the Jonathan orchards some growers do not apply 

 manure, for the stated reason that it stimulates wood growth. The 

 prevalence of fire blight and its activity in rapidly growing trees 

 account for their caution in this regard. 



Manure usually is applied from a wagon, one man and two horses 

 forming the crew. Application is made generally during the spring 

 or fall or, in some cases, as the manure accumulates. The rate of 

 application is variable, ranging from 5 to 15 tons per acre. Table IV 

 will serve to show the manuring practices and costs. 



Table IV. — Relation between manuring practices and costs of apple production on 

 farms studied in Payette Valley, Idaho. 





Num- 

 ber of 

 farms. 



Per acre. 



Total 



cost per 



box. 



Orchard management. 



Man 

 hours. 



Horse 

 hours. 



Cost of 

 labor. 



Tons of 

 ma- 

 nure. 



Mate- 

 rial 

 cost. 



Total 

 cost. 



Clean-cultural 



11 

 13 



5.19 

 6.67 



9.90 

 13.04 



$2.52 

 3.29 



5.99 

 6.68 



S8.98 

 10.02 



S11.50 

 13.31 



SO. 0342 





.0394 







All records 



24 



38 



5.96 

 3.78 



11.60 

 7.32 



2.94 

 1.85 



6.36 

 4.02 



9.54 

 6.03 



12.48 



7.88 



.0370 





.0234 







a In this line appear the averages derived by distributing the cost of manuring over all the farms 

 surveyed in order to secure a figure that legitimately can be used in figuring the regional cost of apple 

 production. 



