36 BULLETIN 500, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table XXYII. — Hauling to and from packing shed (125 records, western Colorado), 



County. 



Man- 

 hours 

 per acre. 



Horse- 

 hours 

 per acre. 



Cost 

 per acre. 



Cost 

 per box. 



Mesa, 49 



6.70 12.02 

 10.16 j 19.48 



$3.48 

 5.46 

 5.57 



SO. 0127 



Delta, 61 



.0185 



Montrose, 15 



10.12 ; 20.24 



.0205 



All counties, 125 '. 





8.79 j 16.65 4.70 



.0165 



PICKING. 



Picking is one of the more expensive operations connected with the 

 apple-growing industry. The' season of picking rarely begins on 

 standard varieties before September 1 and lasts not later than Novem- 

 ber 10. Of the standard varieties, such varieties as Jonathan and 

 Grimes are among the first picked and Ben Davis and Gano are among 

 the last. Generally speaking, the apples are picked approximately in 

 order of their keeping quality. 



Picking sacks opening from the bottom are generally used, the 

 apples being transferred from the sack to the loose boxes in which 

 they are hauled to the packing shed. . Step ladders of various lengths 

 are used. Many of the apples are reached from the ground; indeed 

 only in the older orchards is it necessary to climb about the trees. 



The picking is done almost exclusively with day labor, in which 

 case it costs over 6 cents per packed box to pick the fruit. Pickers 

 are sometimes hired by the box at 5 cents per box, but in the opinion 

 of the average grower this practice does not pay, since any advantage 

 gained is more than offset by loss entailed by careless picking. Table 

 XXVIII shows picking costs by counties. The cost per box varies 

 from $0,061 in Mesa to $0,072 in Montrose. 



MAKING BOXES. 



The grower usually makes boxes during spare time, averaging 200 

 to 300 per day. When made by hired help working by the piece, the 

 usual rate is 1 cent per box. 



Table XXVIII. — Picking costs in the different counties (125 ranches, western Colorado). 



County. 



Loose 

 boxes in 

 10 hours. 



Packed 

 boxes in 

 10 hours. 



Hours 

 per acre. 



Cost per 

 per acre. 



Boxes 

 per acre. 



Cost per 

 box. 



Mesa, 49 



61. 43 

 56.28 



40.95 

 37.52 

 34.88 



67.15 

 78.35 

 78.27 



S16. 79 

 19.59 

 19.57 



275 

 294 

 272 



SO. 06140 



Delta 61 



.06662 





52.33 



. 07194 









57.82 



38.55 



73.95 



18.49 



284 



. 06510 







