16 



BULLETIN 500, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PRUNING. 



Pruning is an operation practiced every year by all growers. It 

 is done during the winter or dormant season. Hired help is usually 

 paid more than the regular rate for pruning, as this operation requires 

 skill. If a, grower prunes for another he usually values his time at 

 35 cents per hour, so in pruning this rate is used. 



In Mesa County the 49 growers prune an average of 11.18 trees 

 in 10 hours, which, with an average of 70 trees per acre in the county, 

 amounts to 62.61 man-hours per acre, which, figured at 35 cents per 

 hour, makes an average annual acre charge of $21.91. The trees in 

 Mesa average 17 years in age. (See Table VII.) 



In Delta County less time is given to pruning than in Mesa. The 

 61 growers in this county prune an average of 16.34 trees in 10 hours, 

 which makes the annual acre charge $16.71. The trees average 17^ 

 years in age. 



In Montrose County the time required is slightly greater than in 

 Delta County, one man pruning 14.61 trees in 10 hours, at a cost of 

 $17.01 per acre. The trees average 16^ years in age. 



If the pruning costs of the 125 records are combined, it is found 

 that with an average of 74 trees per acre one man will prune 14.11 

 trees in 10 hours, or spend 53.67 hours per acre, or a cost of $18.78 

 per acre on 17-year-old trees, making an annual charge of $0,254 per 

 tree for pruning. 



The orchards surveyed in these three counties were of such uniform 

 age that the difference between individual records depends more on 

 the individual growers' system of pruning than any difference in age 

 of orchards. Varieties and methods of pruning influence the cost. 

 For instance, the cost of pruning Winesap or Arkansas Black is 

 more than that of pruning Ben Davis or Gano. 



The systems of pruning are many, but the general method is to 

 prune for an open head and a low tree, with plenty of fruiting surface. 

 Much of the pruning is done by means of pruning shears, since on 

 account of the regular pruning which the orchard receives there are 

 not many large limbs to cut. 



Table VII. — Labor costs for pruning {125 ranches, western Colorado). 



Item. 



Delta. 



Mon- i All 

 trose. ' counties. 



Number of estimates 49 



Number of trees per acre 70 



Age of trees 17 



Number of trees pruned in 10 hours 11. 18 



Man-h ours per acre 62. 61 



Cost per acre $21.91 



61 



78 



16.34 



47.73 



$16. 71 



15 



71 



16J 



14.61 



48.59 



S17.01 



125 



74 



17 



14.11 



53.67 



S18. 78 



