30 BULLETIN 726, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table XVII. — Rolling beet data for three Colorado areas. 



District. 



Year. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 farms. 



Acres 



rolled 



per 



farm. 



Num- 

 ber 

 times 

 rolled. 



Crew. 



Hours per acre. 



Total 

 cost 



Man. 



Horse. 



Man. 



norse. 



per 

 acre. 



Rockv Ford ' 1914-15 



Fort Morgan 1 1915 



Greelev 1914-15 



74 

 20 

 96 



22.4 | 1.21 

 16.9 1.05 

 24. 28 1. 18 



1 

 1 

 1 



2.1 

 2.1 

 2.26 



0.97 

 . 75 

 1.01 



2.1 



1.56 



2.2 



$0.38 

 .31 

 .43 



CONTRACT LABOR. 



The hand work on sugar beets includes blocking and thinning, 

 two regular hoeings, occasionally a third hoeing with some weeding, 

 and pulling and topping. These operations, taken collectively, are 



Fig. 12.— Rolling sugar beets. Rolling not only breaks any crust that may exist, but it also firms the 

 soil and thereby facilitates blocking and thinning. 



known as contract labor. The blocking is done with a hoe. The 

 beet seed is drilled in a continuous row and after germination takes 

 place more plants are usually present than are necessary to insure 

 a good stand. By blocking or chopping out the surplus plants with 

 a hoe, small bunches containing three or more beets are left 10 to 

 12 inches apart in the row. The thinning of the bunches which 

 follows is done by hand. In addition to blocking, the operator cuts 

 off any weeds left by the cultivator. The manner of performing these 

 operations is described in the following rules and regulations govern- 

 ing hand work, from sample contract, 1915: 



Bunching and thinning. — This work must be commenced by the contractor just as 

 soon as the beets show four leaves and the grower has them cultivated, and must 

 be completed as rapidly as possible in the following manner, to wit: Beets to be 



