UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 726 



J** Joint Contribution from the Office of Farm Management, *\Jv 

 W. J. SPILLMAN, Chief, and Bureau of Plant Industry, "^j^^L 

 W. A. TAYLOR, Chief. ^&* < SKh. 



Washington, D. C. 



December 14, 1918 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Summary 3 



Method 4 



Development of industry 5 



Climatic conditions 7 



Size of farms 9 



Relation of beet acreage to irrigated area 10 



Crop rotations 11 



Man and horse labor. 13 



Farm practice 14 



Cost of producing sugar beets 45 



Profit 50 



Summary of costs by tenure 51 



Cost in relation to acreage and yield 52 



Value of beet tops 55 



Relative importance of beet receipts 56 



Variations in farm practice 56 



INTRODUCTION. 



The data presented in this bulletin are based upon 371 1 farm esti- 

 mates 2 obtained from representative sugar-beet growers in four 

 counties in Colorado, viz, Otero, Morgan, Larimer, and Weld (fig. 1). 

 These estimates are for the crop years 1914 and 1915. Agricultural 

 conditions were approximately normal during this period. 



While four counties were included in this survey, the records have 

 been worked out in three distinct groups. The agricultural condi- 

 tions in Weld and Larimer Counties were found .to be very similar, 

 hence it was thought that in this study these two areas could be 

 combined to advantage (referred to in this bulletin as the Greeley 

 district) . Conditions prevailing in Morgan and Otero Counties were 

 such, however, that it seemed desirable to work out the reports for 

 these districts separately (referred to, respectively, as the Fort Mor- 

 gan and Rocky Ford districts). 3 



1 Some of the tables that are presented in this bulletin apply only to the crop year 1915. Four farm 

 records, within the total number, contained complete notes and data on field practice, but they did not 

 afford full information concerning all of the cost factors. Several of the summary tables are, therefore, 

 based upon 367 records. 



2 This is the second of a series of bulletins giving the results of an investigation relative to the practice 

 and cost of growing sugar beets in four of the most important sugar-beet areas in the United States. The 

 practice and cost of growing beets in California and Michigan will be treated in later publications. 



3 The Office of Farm Management and the Office of Sugar Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Indus- 

 try, cooperated in taking the farm records. The latter office was interested in securing a detailed account 

 of the farmer's method of growing this crop. It was thought that these data would be of very great value 

 in planning agronomic experiments for the purpose of solving some of the urgent problems that have arisen 

 in areas where the sugar beet is cultivated. Acknowledgment is due to the farmers in these districts who 

 gave willingly of their time in order to provide complete information concerning their field methods and 

 also the details of their farm business, so that certain economic phases might be studied thoroughly. 

 Acknowledgment is also due Dr. A. L. Thomson, expert, Joe G. Lill, assistant, and James W. Jones, agri- 

 culturist, who assisted in collecting field data. 



69805°— 18— Bull. 726 1 



