COST OF PRODUCING APPLES IN WESTERN COLORADO. 43 



for other purposes, in which case only the proportionate share of the 

 value is charged to the orchard. The investments in such buildings 

 range from $25 to $3,000, but very few have packing houses or cellars 

 costing $1,000 or over. It was found that the growers of Mesa have 

 an investment of $25 per acre for buildings of this kind; those of 

 Delta, $36 per acre, and those of Montrose, $26 per acre. The 

 annual charge on these apple buildings is, according to estimates, 15 

 per cent, divided about as follows: 



Per cent. 



Interest 8 



Depreciation 3 



Repairs 3 



Taxes. 1 



Total --- - 15 



There is, then, an annual charge of $3.75 per acre in Mesa, $5.40 

 per acre in Delta, and $3.90 per acre hi Montrose for buildings or 

 cellars directly connected with handling the apples. 



In figuring cash or material costs, the following factors are con- 

 sidered : 



Box shooks, ready to be made up, at 12| cents. 



Nails, at $4 per keg (5d). Allow one keg to 1,000 boxes, or $0,004 per box. 



Paper: 



Mesa County — 50 pounds of sides, at 7^ cents pound per 950 boxes, or $0,004 per 



box. 

 Delta County — 64 pounds of sides, at 7 cents, and 34 pounds of ends at 7 cents, 



for 1,000 boxes, or $0.0069 per box. 

 Montrose County — 60 pounds of sides at 7 cents, and 32^ pounds of ends at 7 cents, 

 for 1,000 boxes, or $0.0065 per box. 

 Labels put on by the association at one-half cent per box or by owners at one-third 



cent and labor of applying. 

 Lime sulphur (1-10 solution used) at $11.50 per barrel, or 23 cents per gallon. 

 Tobacco extract at $12.50 per gallon, or $1.56 per pint, used 1^ pints to 200 gallons of 



water. 

 Paste form arsenate of lead generally used; 8 pounds in Mesa, 8.02 pounds in Delta, 



and 10.22 pounds in Montrose to 200 gallons of water. Average cost per pound, 



$0.10. 

 Manure, 2.38 tons per acre in Mesa, 4.25 tons in Delta, and 4.23 tons in Montrose, at 



$1.50 per ton. 

 Gasoline, average 1 pint per horsepower per hour; spray rigs average 2J horsepower; 



14.6 engine-hours in Mesa, 9.11 in Delta, and 6.39 in Montrose, or 4.56 gallons in 



Mesa, 2.85 gallons in Delta, and 1.99 gallons in Montrose, at 20 cents per gallon. 

 Spray rig hire: Figures for the use of rig alone, at 45 cents per hour, using average 



engine-hours per acre for each county and distributing over all records. 

 Water tax figured from average annual rent or cost of maintenance per acre. 

 Taxes: Percentage total investment bearing orchard represents multiplied by taxes 



per farm divided by average size orchard equals tax per acre. 

 Insurance: Percentage total investment bearing orchard represents multiplied by 



insurance divided by average size orchard equals insurance per acre. 

 Equipment charge fully explained above. 



Packing house: 15 per cent annual charge for interest, upkeep, depreciation, etc. 

 Interest: Value of apple orchard per acre multiplied by 8 per cent interest. 



