Conditions for Growing Sugar-Eeets 49 



crop. The chief item to consider is the expense of raising 

 the crop. It costs more to produce an acre of beets than 

 is required to purchase outright several acres of the 

 cheaper wheat lands. This money must all be spent be- 

 fore any returns are obtained. 



In the older districts where beets are known to do well, 

 this item is not so serious, since the banks are willing to 

 advance money on the prospect of the crop ; but in dis- 

 tricts where the success of beets is uncertain, the amount 

 of money required to produce a crop may be a serious 

 matter. Under conditions of this kind, it is often neces- 

 sary for the sugar company to furnish implements on 

 " time " and to render other financial aid during the grow- 

 ing season. 



Transportation. 



The transporting of beets is one of the deciding factors 

 in determining whether or not the crop can be raised in 

 a given district. Because the crop is bulky, there is a 

 decided limit to the distance it can be hauled profitably. 

 There are many small areas that can produce excellent 

 beets, but are not of sufficient size to support a factory 

 and are too far from any factory to justify hauling the 

 beets. There are also good beet districts that are large 

 enough to support a factory, but the whole district is so 

 far from a railroad that it would not be practical to 

 attempt establishing a factory. It costs about thirty 

 cents a ton to haul beets a mile by team; hence it is 

 not practical to have beet fields at great distances from 

 dumps. Ordinarily, beets cannot be hauled more than 

 three or four miles by team. This depends somewhat 



