GROWING FIELD CROPS IN SUGAR-BEET DISTRICTS. 



51 



In each district there are three essential cash crops. At Greeley 

 and Fort Morgan these crops are beets, potatoes, and beans. At 

 Rocky Ford the potato crop is displaced by cantaloupes. These 

 three crops bring in more than 75 per cent of all the receipts. 



Although the total crop receipts per farm vary considerably, the 

 percentage derived from the sale of alfalfa is practically the same for 

 each district. 



Table X. — Crop receipts per farm and perrcentage of their distribution and the yield per 

 acre of the principal farm crops in three sugar-beet districts of Colorado. 



Item and district. 



Crop receipts: 



Greeley 



Fort Morgan. 

 Rocky Ford., 



18, US 

 4,631 

 5,741 



Distribution of total crop receipts (percent). 



.2 3.9 



. 1 '2.4 

 .0 2.0 



3.1 

 4.3 



21.4 

 5.4 

 11.5 



44. 8 14. , 

 12.1 67.3 

 34.1 



2.6 

 .2 



Item and crop. 



Yield per acre: 



Sugar beets tons 



Beans bushels 



Oats do.. 



Wheat do.. 



Barley do.. 



Greeley. 3"^ 



Ford. 



15.57 



24.3 



61.8 



47.4 



53.9 



12.99 

 26.9 

 54.7 

 33.6 



Fort 

 Morgan. 



13.65 



37.4 

 21.3 



46.7 



Item and crop. 



Yield per acre: 



Alfalfa tons. 



C antaloupes . dollars . 

 Cucumber seed, 



pounds 



Potatoes sacks. 



Greelev 



3.43 



Rocky I Fort 

 Ford. iMorgan. 



3.13 

 217 



475.7 



3.3f- 



SUMMARY. 



(1) The distribution of labor in the three districts in Colorado 

 studied shows that sugar beets have i\ longer season of labor than 

 any of the other crops, the grains having the shortest seasons. 



(2) For the most economical production of crops and the best use 

 of farm labor the farmer should grow a number of crops rather than 

 one. Each farm should have some acreage devoted to the growing 

 of alfalfa, a grain crop, and one or more of the row-tilled crops. 



(3) The preparation of the seed bed is very important. Sugar 

 beets require more labor in this respect than any of the other crops. 

 A well-prepared seed bed lessens the labor of cultivation and is 

 essential for obtaining a good stand and yield from all crops. 



(4) The labor of planting potatoes is greater than that of any 

 other crop studied. 



(5) Manure is considered very valuable. Of the farmers visited, 

 92 per cent manured some land, and 84.5 per cent of these used the 

 manure on beets. 



(6) Grain crops do not respond well to the use of manure, as the 

 straw growth is too great. 



