Wages for cherry pickers increased 22.6 percent to $14.32 per hour in 2006, while wages for apples rose by 10.8 percent to $11.42 per hour -- another sign of a tight labor supply.

Mr Hughes, from Arrow Plant & Tool Hire, used a cherry picker and scaled a ladder with a cat crate and towel to get the mouser to safety. He said as he reached the roof the feline made its way ...