COST OF PRODUCING APPLES IN YAKIMA VALLEY. 35 
In the mulch-crop orchards of the Yakima district the annual 
charge for creasing is about 30 per cent of the total cultivation cost, 
exclusive of plowing, while in the Zillah district it is approximately 
41 per cent. This difference is due to the fact that more cultivation 
is given alfalfa orchards of the Yakima district than those in the 
Zillah district. 
In the mulch-crop orchards the number of creasings made varied 
considerably, just as was the case with the clean-cultivation orchards. 
However, the majority of men make only one creasing and this 
immediately following the early spring cultivation. A few, how- 
ever, practice replacing the furrows after each cutting of alfalfa. 
Exceptions to this are noted, for 1 orchardist made five and 5 made 
four creasings. ‘There were, however, 32 who made one, 5 who 
made two, and 2 who made three creasings in the orchards under 
mulch-crop management. It is often necessary to make extra 
creasings where orchards are constantly pastured, especially with 
hogs, which damage the furrows to a considerable extent. 
The shovel-plow is the most common implement used in making, 
furrows in the mulch-crop orchards in the valley. In the Yakima 
district 1t is customary to use a crew of one man and one horse, while 
in the Zillah district it is most common to use a crew on one man 
and two horses. 
Considering all growers using mulch-crop management, 5 used 
the 6-foot cultivator for making creases, 36 used a shovel-plow, 
and 4 an alfalfa marker. So very few men used the 6-foot cultivator 
that the cost of making furrows with that implement in the mulch- 
crop orchards is not comparable with the cost where the same imple- 
ment is used in clean-cultivated orchards. However, there were 
enough shovel-plow records to make figures for that implement 
comparable. Referring to Table X XIX, it would seem that in 
both cases the cost of making furrows in the mulch-crop orchards is 
somewhat lower than in the orchards under clean-cultural manage- 
ment. Considering all records under mulch-crop management, 
the total charge for creasing is 2.73 man-hours and 4.30 horse- 
hours per acre, at a cost of $1.33. 
TABLE XXIX.—Total man-hours and horse-hours chargeable and the cost per acre for all 
creasings where 120 records are considered. 
Clean-cultural management. Mulch-crop management. 
District. | 
Man- Horse- | Cost per | Man- Horse- | Cost per 
hours. hours. acre. hours. hours. acre. 
NionvhMWalkaim aesects es e328 2 Sol set 5. 12 7. 83 $2. 45 2.47 3. 48 $l. 14 
TOTNES S Bape Srey eS eee Oe ee 4, 34 6. 42 2.05 2.95 5. 02 1.49 
INonthOYakimavand Zillah=-—. 2... . 402-1 4.79 7. 23 2.27 2.73 4. 30 1.33 
