123 THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



was done by contract by Chinese at $1.65 per ton, while the freight was 75c per ton. 

 This made a total cost per ton of $2.83, and as the beets were sold at $5 per ton at the 

 factory, it left $2. 17 per ton for the use of land and net profit. Adding net gains 

 from stock fed on beet tops, Mr Bardin shows an average return of $59.33 per acre 

 for his own time and use of land, or a total profit of $13,352. Mr Bardin says there is 

 just as much money now in raising beets at $4 j>er ton as there was then ut $5, 

 because freight has been reduced 25c per ton, contracts for taking care of crop, hoe- 

 ing, thinning, topping and loading into wagons have been reduced 65c per ton, and 

 the crop can be handled lOc per ton cheaper now on acco\mt of improved machinery, 

 making a total of $1 reduction to offset the decline of $1 in the price. 



Mr Bardin writes us that in 1893 and 1895, he was not directly interested in 

 growing sugar beets. In 1894, he planted 450 acres to this crop, but the land was not 

 in good condition and the yield averaged only 13f tons per acre dressed weight. Part 

 of the tract was new land that had not been cleaned but one year, and some had been 

 planted to crops which the beet does not follow well. In 1896, he planted 260 acres, 

 which were all harvested before Oct 1 and averaged between 16 and 17 tons per acre 

 for the whole tract. One of these fields of 80 acres, planted the first week in March, 

 yielded 25 tons of dressed beets per acre. Another field of 100 acres was not all 

 planted until the latter part of April, and owing to the extremely dry season made 

 not more than 8 or 9 tons per acre. If the season had been favorable, he believes the 

 whole tract would have averaged 25 tons and is perfectly satisfied with the crop as a 

 profit earner, when sold at $4 per ten. 



Mr Bardin's items for planting the 225 acres first mentioned were : Labor $450, 

 seed $180, use of beet drill $22.50, barley fed to teams when planting $10.50, hay fed 

 (at $8 per ton) $200, wear and tear of tools $150, total $1,152.50 for planting. The 

 detailed account for harvesting shows that the expense was $1677. Caring for the 

 crop was contracted for by Chinese at $1.60 per ton, or a total of $10,166; freight at 

 75c per ton cost $4561, making the grand total for all expenses $17,556. The receipts 

 being $30,908, left the net profit above stated of $13,352. This is an extraordinary 

 result of an extraordinarily favorable season, which even Mr Bardin himself has not 

 since been able to duplicate. Moreover his land is in beets only one season in three 

 years, and his last crop averaged only about one-third as large a crop as the phenom- 

 enal results in '92. Even under the most favorable California!! conditions, therefore, 

 it is safe to discount this result fully one-half and we 'doubt very much 'if the major- 

 ity of California beet growers average $30 per acre per year, for use of land, for their 

 ability in running the business and for net profits over and above all other expenses 

 of every kind and nature. 



ACTUAL, EXPERIENCE OF FARMERS IN RAISING BEETS ON A LARGE AND SMALL SCALE. 



Pettinger Brothers of Albion, Boone Co, Nebraska, writing in September, 1896, 

 said : "Nebraska farmers are only just beginning to know a small part of what there 

 is to learn about farming, and especially sugar beet raising. In Boone county, the 

 first sugar-beet crop was planted in 1884. Our first crop contracted for consisted of 

 ten acres. The soil was prepared and the crop planted the best we could with such 

 instructions as were given by the factory, but the soil was a little sandy, and during 



