56 



BULLETIN 726, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



district in question lias a winter with less snow than the others, and 

 the relative loss is undoubtedly smaller on this account. Moreover, 

 many cattle are brought in from the ranges for feeding or wintering. 

 These facts taken together may explain the higher average value 

 reported for this district. 



The estimated farm value of beet tops was greater than the selling 

 value in each of the districts. The man who feeds tops to his own 

 stock evidently believes that they are worth more to the farm than 

 the customary selling price. 



RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF BEET RECEIPTS. 



A comparison of the crop, live stock, and miscellaneous receipts of 

 the farms studied, for the crop year 1915, will convey to the reader 

 some idea of the relative importance of the sugar beet (Table 

 XXXIII) . In the Greeley area, sugar beets contributed 32 per cent of 

 the total farm receipts and almost one-half of the crop receipts. 

 The importance of the sugar beet in the Fort Morgan district 

 is shown by the fact that this crop afforded 61.7 per cent, or almost 

 two-thirds, of the total farm receipts. On the Rocky Ford farms 

 the sugar beet was also the most important cash crop. 



Table XXXIII. 



-Average beet receipts per farm in comparison with other farm receipts 

 in 1915. 



District. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 esti- 

 mates. 



Average 

 total re- 

 ceipts per 

 farm. 



Per cerjt of total receipts from — 



Crops. 



Live stock. 



Miscella- 

 neous. 



Beets. 



90 

 66 

 37 



.17,436.62 

 4,763.49 

 2,754.95 



71.4 

 69.4 



74.4 



27.4 

 29.6 

 22.2 



1.2 

 1.0 

 3.4 



32.1 

 61.7 



52.8 



Per cent 



of crop 



receipts 



from 



beets. 



Greeley 



Fort Morgan 

 Rocky Ford. 



45.0 

 88.9 

 70.8 



VARIATION IN FARM PRACTICE. 



Although certain field methods in preparing the seed bed for 

 sugar beets and in tending and harvesting the crop are common to 

 all growers, the desired results are often accomplished in a number 

 of different 'ways. The condition of the soil at the time the land is 

 worked sometimes determines the character of the operations neces- 

 sary to put the ground in shape for planting. Some land may have 

 to be disked and harrowed with a spring-tooth and a spike-tooth 

 harrow, while other land may require only spike-tooth harrowing. 

 The same is true for rolling the land. The climatic conditions 

 usually govern the method of handling the growing crop, while 

 certain economic factors, together with climate, have much to do in 

 shaping the field operation and practice in harvesting and hauling 

 the crop. 



