THE BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 33 



Potatoes. — In certain areas studied, the potato under present con- 

 ditions is one of the strongest competing crops with sugar beets. 

 Where these crops are grown in rotation, however, the results, from 

 the standpoint of yield, are satisfactory. Unfortunately, certain 

 diseases affecting potatoes attack sugar beets also; this is notably 

 true of the scab. With the price of potatoes higher than for many 

 years past, the tendency in the especially good potato area has been 

 to increase the potato acreage and diminish the sugar-beet acreage 

 correspondingly. The chief danger is that when the potato crop is 

 harvested the price may be lower and the results somewhat disappoint- 

 ing. It should be noted in this connection that the prices paid for 

 sugar beets are in practically all cases fixed before the seed is planted. 

 The returns from this crop, therefore, depend only upon the yield 

 and quality of the beets produced. As already indicated, sugar 

 beets and potatoes form a part of a satisfactory rotation, but neither 

 of these crops should immediately succeed or follow the other because 

 of the diseases that are common to both plants. There should be 

 one or two years of intervening crops, such as small grains or alfalfa. 



Alfalfa. — In some localities studied, alfalfa has appeared to be a 

 strong competing crop with sugar beets. This is true in part because 

 of the tendency to leave alfalfa sod without breaking for a number 

 of years, thereby making a very long rotation or, in some cases, what 

 amounts to no rotation ; for example, certain areas have been found 

 in which alfalfa has remained undisturbed in some fields for upward 

 of 20 years. Alfalfa is an inexpensive crop to produce, provided a 

 good stand is obtained. This is not difficult if the ground is well 

 prepared and properly handled at seeding time. After the alfalfa 

 has become established the expense of maintaining the crop is slight, 

 and the chief expense in connection with alfalfa production consists 

 in irrigating in certain sections and in harvesting and marketing 

 the crop. 



In some sections where alfalfa grows well it is not a competing 

 crop with sugar beets, because of the remoteness of these areas from 

 the market, but in cases where the alfalfa is used locally to advantage 

 or where the markets are accessible it competes strongly with the 

 sugar beet and may exclude the latter -to such an extent that beet 

 production is so reduced that the operation of a sugar mill is not 

 possible. A sugar mill should have a sufficient quantity of beets to 

 insure a run of at least 100 days each year, whereas the average 

 run for 1917 was only 74 days. (Table IV, p. 34.) Sugar beets 

 may be grown in rotation with alfalfa to good advantage under 

 certain conditions, and our studies have shown the advantage of these 

 conditions in several instances. This is especially true if the farmer 

 looks upon the alfalfa crop as a soil-improving crop as well as a crop 

 from which direct satisfactory returns may be expected. In such 



