THE DIVERSIFIED FARM. 



In diversified farming by irrigation lies tbe salvation of agriculture 



SUGAR BEETS. 



At the present time there is no subject 

 which is attracting so much atttntion in 

 the agricultural world as sugar beets. A 

 few years ago this crop was not known in 

 the United States, but last year there was 

 beets enough raised to supply 35 factories 

 in this country, and more are being raised 

 for new factories every year. Every agri- 

 cultural journal is taking up this subject, 

 and farmers all over the country are ad- 

 vised to try this crop. Since the people 

 of Utah demonstrated that beets could be 

 successfully raised under irrigation, the 

 arid states have become greatly interested 

 in this crop and before many years, these 

 states will become great sugar producers 

 as was predicted by H. W. Wiley in a 

 government bulletin issued in February 

 1899. The results which have been at- 

 tained in Utah and Colorado the last' few 

 years demonstrated that these states are 

 particularly adapted to this crop and that 

 there is a great future for the sugar in- 

 dustry here. Last year two factories were 

 built in the southern part of this state, 

 and the best five year's crop of beets ever 

 produced in the United States was grown. 

 Such results have given a great impetus to 

 the industry there and are attracting at- 

 tention elsewhere. A year ago, when this 

 industry was being agitated there, the 

 farmers were afraid to take hold of this 

 new business. They were making good 

 money raising melons, and were loath to 

 make a change, but when a factory was 

 promised, the progressive farmer signed 

 contracts for five years and determined to 

 give the crop a trial. They were assisted 



in every way by the sugar company, and a 

 splended crop was the result. This year 

 the American Beet Sugar company at Rocky 

 Ford have more than doubled their acre- 

 age. In one small district alone, the con- 

 tracted for over 1500 acres, where they 

 had 536 last year. Farmers who followed 

 the advice of the field superintendents, 

 cleared from $10 to $100 per acre. The 

 way they have increased their acreage 

 shows they are well pleases with the crop. 



At Lehi, Utah, last year they had a 

 short crop because of the scarcity of water, 

 but the year previous they planted 960 

 acres of beets, which yielded an average of 

 16i tons per acre, or a total of 15,840 tons, 

 at $4,50 per ton, brought $73,530. The 

 cost to produce this crop, including the 

 work done by the farmer, was $32,600. 

 This left them a net profit of $40,930. 



The people of northern Colorado are 

 fortunate in having a factory located in 

 in this part of state, so the farmers can de- 

 monstrate what they can do with this crop. 

 Everything at present points to a success. 

 We have the soil, the climate, the water, 

 the favorable natural conditions, and if the 

 farmers give this crop the careful atten- 

 tion they give to other crops, then success 

 is assured, and other factories will be 

 erected here. But in spite of the success 

 that has been made around them, many 

 farmers are still afraid of this crop and are 

 willing to let the other fellow make the 

 start. It is true the potato is a splendid 

 crop here and will never be entirely sup- 

 planted by sugar beets, yet that is no rea- 

 son why we should not have another good 

 crop, one which pays well and has an ab- 



