• GROWING FIELD CROPS IN SUGAR-BEET DISTRICTS. 21 



Crops are planted a few days earlier in the season at Rocky Ford 

 than in the other districts. The dates of planting beet seed at Rocky 

 Ford are from April 1 to June 15, at Fort Morgan from April 10 to 

 June 22, and at Greeley from April 1 to June 20. The greatest 

 amount of planting is done from April 20 to May 10 in each of these 

 districts. As a rule, cantaloupes are planted from April 20 to May 

 10. Cucumbers for seed are planted from May 1 to June 5, the 

 greater portion about May 25. Potatoes are planted from May 25 

 to June 10. The planting of winter wheat varies from August 30 

 to December 1 and of spring wheat from February 28 to April 15. 

 Oats are planted from March 1 to April 15 and barley from March 

 15 to April 25. As a rule, barley is planted later in the season than 

 other grains. Beans are planted from May 15 to June 10; alfalfa 

 usually in April. 



Beet seed is planted at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds per acre; pota- 

 toes, 600 to 700 pounds; alfalfa, 10 to 15 pounds; cucumbers (aver- 

 age), 4.5 pounds; and cantaloupes, 3.4 pounds. Beans of the type 

 grown for seed were seeded at approximately 55 pounds, and pinto 

 beans at the rate of 20 to 30 pounds to the acre. 



At Greeley the average rate of seeding per acre for wheat was 77 

 pounds, for oats 75 pounds, and for barley 83 pounds. At Fort 

 Morgan the rate was 59 pounds of wheat, 82 pounds of oats, and 72 

 pounds of barley. At Rocky Ford the rate was 89 pounds of wheat 

 and 82 pounds of oats. 



MANURIAL PRACTICE. 



All the crops studied have some labor charge for the application 

 of manure, although to some of the crops no direct application of 

 manure was made. The charge is due to the cumulative value of 

 manure in the soil. The manure value and the labor application 

 cost are charged to the farm crops, according to the place in the rota- 

 tion that the manure is applied. The schedule is as follows: 50 per 

 cent of the value of the manure and 50 per cent of the work of apply- 

 ing it to the field are charged to the crop receiving the direct benefit, 

 30 per cent to the following crop, 20 per cent to the crop on the land 

 the third year, no charge being made to crops farther removed from 

 the application of the manure. If manure is applied to the same field 

 for three successive years, the following charge will be made against 

 the crop: 20 per cent of the cost of the first application, 30 per cent 

 of the cost of the second application, and 50 per cent of the immediate 

 application. 



In a survey of these regions it was found that 92 per cent of the 

 farmers applied barnyard manure to their crops, 367 growers made 

 reports upon the use of manure, and 310 applied the manure to the 

 beet crop. On 22 farms the manure was applied to potatoes, and on 



