432 Bulletin i66. 



7 report the cost as between $35 and $40 per acre. 



3 report the cost as between $40 and $45 per acre. 



1 reports the cost as between $45 and 150 per acre. 



4 report the cost as between $50 and $55 per acre. 



2 report the cost as between $55 and $60 per acre. 



5 report the cost as over $60 per acre. 



The lowest cost reported is $10.20 per acre, the highest $83.00 

 and the average, $38.15. 



As was expected the range of cost per acre is very wide and is 

 affected by many circumstances. It was attempted to observe 

 these fields very carefully to determine if possible the conditions 

 that contribute to excessive cost. Many of these conditions 

 have already been referred to under their proper headings. 

 Among others that remain to be mentioned attention is especially 

 called to the necessity of timeliness in doing the work. This 

 applies all through the season and to every operation, but espe- 

 cially to thinning and weeding during the early periods of grow^th. 

 There is a time when these operations can be performed at the 

 minimum of cost, and sometimes the delay of a week will double 

 or even quadruple the expense of getting the crop in proper con- 

 dition. Perhaps the highest skill of the grower is manifested by 

 wise management in this respect. 



Another mistake made by many w^as in tilling the crop by 

 hand instead of horse labor. In nearly every case of excessive 

 cost reported it is attributable to one or the other of these causes. 

 As a result of this season's observations it is believed that when 

 the farmers shall become experienced wnth the crop $30 to $40 

 per acre may be named as the probable range of cost. 



From the field book of the Binghamton Beet Sugar Co. it is 

 found that the 119 farmers who report the cost of growing the 

 crop up to, but not including the harvest, place the average cost 

 at $16.04 P^^ acre. The cost of the harvest may be placed at 

 $10 to $12 per acre and the total will still be below^ the minimum sug- 

 gested above. This leads to the suspicion that only those who 

 were successful in keeping the cost at a low figure reported this item . 



Cost of beets per ton. — The cost per ton, depending as it does 

 on both the cost and yield per acre, is affected by every condition 

 influencing the crop during the season. A study of the reports 

 brings to light some interesting features. Some of the highest 



