14 BULLETIN 117, U. S. DEPAETMEXT OF AGRICULTURE. 



looked upon by the farmer as the one dependable crop, providing the 

 money from which he can pay taxes and buy the necessaries of life. 

 It is generally agreed that there are no big profits in sugar-beet grow- 

 ing, yet its adaptability to local conditions and to intensive agricul- 

 ture places it foremost as a cash crop on a large number of farms. 

 The large amount of labor needed and its wide distribution through 

 the growing season make the sugar beet one of the best crops' for the 

 utilization of the farm labor. In many instances the owner's f amil} T 

 can do all the work required on several acres of beets; hence, a rea- 

 sonably large income can be had with no cash outlay. 



From $48 to $60 per acre, exclusive of land rental, is given as the 

 approximate cost of growing an acre of beets under normal conditions 

 in the Utah Lake Valley. With yields ranging from 15 to 20 tons, 

 at a price of $4.50 to $5 per ton, it is evident that there is no large 

 margin of profit between the cost and the price received. Yet in 

 view of the fact that a large part of the cost of production is made 

 up of labor which can be performed by the farmer and his family, the 

 farmer can afford to grow beets even if only day wages are earned at 

 such work. 



Of course, the profit per acre will vary a great deal on different 

 farms, depending upon the practice followed, the yield, and the sugar 

 content. It is plain, however, that the price per ton paid by the 

 sugar-beet factory can not be decreased to any great extent without 

 causing the total income from an acre to fall below the cost of pro- 

 duction. Of late years several growers have had difficulty with blight 

 and also with low sugar content. Many of these troubles can be 

 remedied by more thought to rotation and care in growing the crop. 



TOMATOES. 



Under an intensive system of agriculture such as that followed in 

 this region, it would seem that the canning factory should have a 

 place. As yet this industry has not developed to any great extent, 

 there being three small canning factories, one each at Provo, Spring- 

 ville, and Spanish Fork. Tomatoes constitute one of the main crops 

 grown for canning. Table X gives the cost of growing an acre of 

 tomatoes as determined from three good growers in that district. 

 The cost per ton, as found on the three farms averaged in Table X, 

 was remarkably uniform considering the wide variation in yields on 

 these farms. Under careful supervision and with a reasonable price 

 for this crop, the growing of tomatoes promises to be a fairly satis- 

 factory enterprise. One serious trouble is in obtaining a variety 

 which can be planted late enough in the spring to escape late frosts 

 and yet mature early enough to escape frost in the autumn. 



