34 



BULLETIN 518, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



taken down and hauled in in the fall. On account of the variation 

 in the methods of propping and the small number of orchardists who 

 followed any one method, no segregation in time is made, the aver- 

 age propping time being calculated without regard to the practice 

 followed. 



The average amount of labor for propping, all records considered, 

 is 14.23 man-hours and 13.56 horse-hours per acre, at an annual cost 

 of $5.65 per acre, $0.08 per tree, and $0.0255 per box. 



The average cost per acre on these farms is almost exactly the same 

 for each of the three operations of pruning, thinning, and propping. 

 (See Table XII.) 



Fig. 14. — Trees propped to prevent breaking. This orchard is also heavily thinned 

 every year. The varieties are Newtown and Escpus, in full bearing. 



Table XII. — Comparison of pruning, thinning, and propping costs (J-J farms). 





Operation. 



Number 



Cost. 







chards. ! Peracre 

 1 



Per tree. 



Per box. 







1 

 54 -?5. 4S 



JO. OS 



.OS 



$0.0247 







.0250 



Propping 





54 ' 5. 65 



.OS 



.0255 



SPRAYING. 



Spraying the orchards for diseases and insect pests is a universal 

 practice in the valley, representing considerable labor and cash out- 



