42 BULLETIN 905, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



can not be finished for the market on the beet by-products, and 

 unless other feed is available it will not be advisable to purchase 

 animals for feeding purposes with a view to turning them on the 

 market later. If the farmer is provided with dairy cows, it is ad- 

 visable to furnish them with one or two feeds of tops or pulp each 

 day. The tops, Avhen cured or pitted, will keep for several months; 

 the pulp when left in a large pile will not spoil for feeding purposes, 

 except in a thin layer on the surface. If the tops or the pulp are 

 fed heavily to dairy cows, a distinct increase in the flow of milk 

 marks the top and pulp feeding period, and there will generally be a 

 marked falling off in the flow of milk when this feed is discontinued. 

 Since the supply of tops and pulp is limited, it is better to continue 

 the feeding over a longer period, giving a smaller amount to each 

 of the animals daily. The tops and pulp should always be fed 

 in combination with other feeds in order to make a balanced ration. 



LABOR PROBLEMS. 



One of the most serious problems on many of the beet farms is that 

 of labor. The difficulties in connection with the labor question as 

 related to sugar-beet culture are due to the fact that a part of the 

 Avork must be done by hand and is tedious; furthermore, the labor 

 in connection with this crop is not continuous. For example, there 

 is a period in the spring when considerable labor is required for the 

 blocking and thinning of the beets, as shown in Plate III, figure 1. 

 The work during midsummer is light, consisting of a little hoeing. 

 In the fall there is another increase in the labor requirement, due to 

 the harvest, followed by the winter months, when little or no field 

 work in connection with this crop is done. The need for labor at 

 harvest time is apparent, as the beets must be harvested promptly 

 when they are mature. The reasons for pushing the beet harvest are 

 several : Fall rains may set in and cause the roots to deteriorate in 

 quality, the roots may be frozen in the ground if harvest is delayed, 

 the mill must have sufficient roots to operate continuously, and the 

 farmer must get the beet crop out of the way in order to do his other 

 fall work. The question of obtaining and holding the necessary labor 

 for the handling of this crop has been one of the serious problems in 

 sugar-beet growing in this country. Beet labor may be classified 

 under three heads — family labor, community labor, and hired labor, 

 the latter being divided again into general labor, regular and tran- 

 sient, and into contract labor. 



Family labor. — By this term is meant the labor furnished by the 

 family which has contracted with the sugar company to grow the 

 beets. It may be the family of the landowner or the family of the 

 tenant. Usually the most successful operations in sugar-beet grow- 



