42 BULLETIN 721, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



labor may be classified under three heads— the family labor, the com- 

 munity labor, and the hired labor, the latter being divided into sev- 

 eral classes, such as regular, transient, and 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- 

 ing are in those localities where the labor is handled by the family 

 of the grower. In these localities the beet acreage per farm is 

 usually small and the beet labor is not burdensome. This class of 

 labor is usually more vitally interested in the success of the crop 

 than other kinds of labor and therefore greater pains are taken to 

 produce and maintain good stands. 



Community labor. — By community labor is meant the exchange 

 of labor between the beet-growing families in a given community. 

 Usually not all the beets in a given community are ready to be 

 thinned or harvested at the same time, and since both of these opera- 

 tions must be done as promptly as possible when the beets are ready, 

 it has been found advantageous for families in the same community 

 to use the exchange-labor method in handling this crop. This ex- 

 change system is not confined to the beet crop, but is a common 

 practice in many localities in carrying on all kinds of farm work 

 which needs to be done quickly, such as haying and grain harvesting. 



General labor. — By general labor is meant that labor which is 

 employed by the day, month, or year for the general farm work. 

 Transient labor is that part of this labor that comes and goes with- 

 out any certainty as to its permanency and with little responsibility 

 as to the results of the work. It is seldom used in handling the 

 sugar-beet crop, as it is not sufficiently dependable. All farming 

 communities are familiar with this kind of labor to a greater or less 

 extent. It is unreliable and unsatisfactory, but sometimes enables a 

 farmer to get through a temporary rush period without serious dam- 

 age to his crop. On many farms there are monthly or annual 

 laborers who take part in all of the farming operations, including 

 the sugar-beet work. Usually this class of labor is very satisfactory 

 in the beet fields, and those farmers are fortunate if by the aid of 

 their general helpers they are able to care for the beet crop in addi- 

 tion to the other work. 



Contract labor. — This is the most common class of labor employed 

 to do the handwork in caring for the sugar-beet crop, and, as the 

 word implies, the work is done under contract. The term contract 

 labor as used in this connection is often misunderstood. It is thought 

 by some who are not familiar with beet-growing conditions that the 

 so-called beet-labor contracts are decidedly to the advantage of the 

 landowner or of the sugar company and that such labor is compelled 



