52 BULLETIN 614, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF 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 Zillah 
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. 
Fic. 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.—IJnfluence of yield on picking time and cost on 120 farms in the 
Yakima Valley. 
Packed 
Number| box Tose Cost | Cost | Cost per} Cost 
=e E ak i é xes 12 per 
Yield per acre in packed boxes. of or- yield anti per per packed Tan 
chards. per acre. tree. box. 
hours. box 
acre 
200 and under..... its Sia, Rie fe a Re 10 | 164.64] 66.60] $9.27] $0.14 | $0.0563 | $0.0375 
20 TRO O02 Seer: Se Sys * pee cae * Cea eee 18 | 241.49} 56.57 | 16.02 “20 . 0663 . 0442 
BOLO 00 ee eats ec cs es Sas en ae 31 | 346.33 | 60.00] 21.66 api! - 0625 . 0417 
AD IEE OOOO Sena eae ee So te eee 26 448. 25 63. 14 26. 64 of . 0594 - 0396 
SOUCOGO0 ee ae eee Bea ee oy 13 | 544.28] 64.65] 31.56 38 0580 0387 
OVETIH00 Fhe Oot he ee hee see oe 22 | 744.08} 60.78 | 45.89 55 0617 0411 
