354 
lowest item in the labor table was in 
1905, when evidently the crop was light, 
if one may judge by the cost of barrels. 
However, the year 1910 shows a labor cost 
of only $175.26, when the barrels cost 
$116.90, or almost as much as in 1902, 
when the labor cost was $339.45. Is there 
not the likelihood that the orchardist 
scanned his cost sheet and saw that la- 
bor was costing him too much and cut it 
down accordingly? This is one of the 
most interesting and valuable features of 
the table. The orchardist, M. C. Burritt, 
concludes as follows: 
“To sum up these items of cost we find 
that, taking the average of nine years, 
with an annual crop of 409 barrels, or 67 
per acre, on 6.1 acres of old apple orchard, 
that spray material costs $.034 per barrel; 
packages, $.825; interest on land, $.084; 
use of equipment, $.068; taxes, etc., $.011; 
labor, $.565, or a total of $1.10 per barrel. 
If the estimated cost of the manure, 6 
cents, be added, the total will be $1.15. 
This cost, of course, varies with the size 
of the crop. When our yield was 102 bar- 
rels per acre the cost per barrel was only 
83 cents. When it was 35 barrels per 
acre the cost per barrel rose to $1.73. In 
1910 we grew a crop of 55 barrels per acre 
for $1.20 per barrel. 
“To put it in another way, we could 
grow and deliver on board the cars at 
our station a barrel of apples for from $1 
to $1.25 with an average crop under aver- 
aze conditions. In doing this we would 
expect to make five per cent on the capital 
invested and to receive fair wages for our 
labor. In addition to this we should have 
all the culls and the windfall apples to 
sell at a clear profit, for the cost of pro- 
ducing and handling these has been in- 
cluded in the costs given above, as it 
could not well be separated. These have 
amounted to an average of 29 cents per 
barrel in the last nine years. To reduce 
the matter to a still lower basis, we think 
that .our experience has shown that we 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
can expect to grow and sell a barrel of ap- 
ples for 90 cents and pay all expenses con- 
nected with its production.”—Spokesman 
Review. 
Results on Eight Acres in Idaho 
Statement of 1910 fruit crop from eight 
acres of orchard owned by B. F. Tussing 
Fruitland, Idaho. Trees 13 years old. _ 
, , Boxes 
—— No. }OXES Per 
Varieties Trees Produced Tree 
Jonathan .........22005 100 36 1936 
Rome Beauty .......... 176 5903 19.88 
White Winter Vearmain 47 TSO) 16.57 
Mammoth Black Twig... 1s 371 20.61 
Oregon Red ........... 12 151 12.58 
Ben Davis ...........5. 4 45 12.00 
Delaware Red ......... 13 135 10.38 
Gravenstein ........... 15 294 19.40 
Arkansas Black ........ TSO) 24430 13-50 
Totals on eight acres... 565 9,648 
Number Price 
Grades Boxes Received 
Extra Fancy ............ 6,048 KS,164.80 
HaNCy ee eee eee eee eee eee 2,300 2541.00 
Choice ..... cece eee e wees 1,300 1,050.75 
Totals ...... ec eee eee 9,648 = $11,756.55 
Average per acre, 1,206 boxes, $1,469.57. 
Expense account to be deducted from 
the above as follows: 
Per 
Harvesting Box 
Boxing, and making boxes............. $0 13 
Packing 2... cece ee eee ee eee Rtn} 
Orting Loe ee ee eee eee te ete ees 02 
Paper wo. cece eee cee ee ee ee ee eens 02 
Nailing boxes, help in packing house.... .083 
Hauling to cars, loading and bracing.... .02 
Hauling, orchard to packing house...... Rip 
Picking 2... ce ce ee ee ee eee eee O04 
Total oo... ec ee ce ee ee ee 80.382 
Orchard Expenses 
Interest on investment.............. $960.00 
Pruning and hauling brush.......... 160 00 
Cultivating Le eee ee ee eee 96.00 
Thinning fruit . 95.00 
Spraying .... ce eens 80.00 
Irrigation . 2... . ee ee ee ees 48.00 
TAXGS ccc ee ee ee te we teens 44,00 
Propping Trees 2.0... ..... ce eee eee 40.00 
Water assessment .......02 cece eeee 14.00 
Repairing fenceS .......... cee nee 8.00 
Total cc... cece eee eee ee eee ee eee ee Pd BA5.00 
Orchard expense, per box............- $0.16 
Harvesting expense, per box........... woo 
Total cost of production, per box..... 0.48 
Gross returns, eight acres........ $11,756.55 
Cost of production............-.. 4,631.04 
Net balance, eight acres........ $7,125.51 
