YIELD AND COST OF CULTIVATION. 201 



Corresponding to an avevage yield of 10 to 13 tons 

 per acre, representing the remarkably low figure of 

 $1.05 to $1.48 per ton. This is greatly reduced owing 

 to the fact that the manures and seeds, etc., have not 

 been considered ; these are products on hand, which 

 have cost but little, one from the cattle, and the other 

 grown some years previously on the same soil. Accord- 

 ing to Walkhoff the cost of working a hectare of land in 

 Russia will amount to 210 francs ($48), or considera- 

 bly more than any of the above estimates ; but even 

 this, under ordinary circumstances, will leave a large 

 margin of profit. 



As for our own experience, we have planted the roots 

 on farms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,^ have at- 

 tained average yields of fifteen tons to the acre, and 

 requested the farmers in each case to make a general 

 estimate as to the probable cost of the same. These 

 we hope to publish under a separate head later. In 

 all cases they informed us that they were convinced 

 with the necessary appliances they could be obtained 

 at $2.50 per ton, and in extraordinary cases $5.00; 

 these average 12 per cent, of sugar, or 6 per cent, of 

 practical sugar. To this we must add the lower grades 

 of sugar, molasses, pulp, etc. Farmers are all only too 

 willing to introduce the beet culture on their farms 

 when there is a possibility of selling the resulting roots, 



' See "Probable Effect Produced in America by the Introduction of the 

 Beet Culture." 

 14 



