COST OF PRODUCING APPLES WESTERN NEW YORK. 29 



TOTAL MAINTENANCE COST. 



The total maintenance cost for the 218 farms was $24.75 per acre, 

 or 29 cents per barrel. Deducting a credit for the use of the orchard 

 as pasture, there is left a net cost of $24.04 per acre. This is about 

 20 per cent of the total net cost of production. 



HANDLING THE CROP. 



Handling the apple crop consists of picking, packing (whether in 

 orchard or packing shed), hauling empty barrels to orchard and 

 packed barrels to shipping point or storage, and all necessary labor 

 in handling the cull apples. 



There is considerable variation in the time required for handling 

 the crop, according to method of management, distance the crop is 

 hauled, and yield. 



The handling of the average crop in the orchards required about 

 100 man hours and 30 horse hours per acre. This constitutes ap- 

 proximately 56 per cent of the total man hours and 32 per cent of 

 the total horse hours required per year in the production of an acre 

 of apples in western New York. 



PICKING. 



Picking apples by hand was practiced by 209 of the growers con- 

 sidered in this investigation, or 96 per cent. Nine orchardists in 

 Wayne County shook their apples from the tree. Picking of the 

 fall varieties usually begins with the Oldenburg about the middle 

 or latter part of August, while the work on winter varieties usually 

 Jbegins with Rhode Island Greening about September 15. This is 

 followed by the Tompkins King, which is generally picked about 

 October 1; then come in order the Roxbury, Baldwin, Ben Davis, 

 and Northern Spy. 



One picking is usually made for each of the varieties grown in 

 this area, except the Oldenburg, of which it is not uncommon to 

 make from two to four pickings, sorting for size and color. Occa- 

 sionally fruit of the other varieties does not ripen regularly and 

 it is necessary to pick for size and color. 



As the Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening are the principal 

 varieties grown, this discussion will be confined chiefly to them. 

 Since a large percentage of these varieties is stored in common 

 storage or cold storage, they are usually picked before they are ma- 

 ture. Picking the Rhode Island Greening is usually begun when 

 the seeds of the apple are beginning to turn brown, regardless of 

 the size or color of the fruit. Ordinarily particular care is taken as 

 to the time of picking and condition of this variety because of its 

 tendency to scald in storage if not properly handled. 



Men, women, and boys are employed at harvest. Men generally 

 do most of the picking. The half-bushel basket, 3-peck basket, or 



