GROWING SUGAR BEETS IN THE BILLINGS REGION, 



37 



Table XIII. — Summary of labor requirements for the production of sugar beets. 1 

 [Man labor is rated at 20 cents per hour and horse labor at 10 cents per hour.] 



Band of labor. 



Average per acre worked. 



Cost. 



Man. 



Horse. 



Average per acre of all sugar 

 beets studied. 



Cost. 



Man. 



Horse. 



Farm labor: 



Manuring 



Plowing 



Crowning alfalfa . 



Disking 



Rolling land 



Floating 



Harrowing 



Cleaning ditches . 

 Planting seed — 



Rolling 



Cultivating 



Furrowing 



Irrigating 



Lifting 



Hauling 



$3.31 



2.54 



2.48 



1.09 



.29 



.89 



.93 



.13 



.40 



.31 



1.74 



.39 



1.49 



2.18 



5.12 



Hours. 

 8.90 

 4.59 

 4.35 

 1.84 



.71 

 1.31 

 1.75 



.32 

 1.00 



.77 

 4.46 

 1.00 

 7.43 

 4.41 

 10.36 



Hours. 



15.30 



16.18 



16.14 



7.19 



1.49 



5.96 



5.75 



.61 



2.00 



1.55 



8.46 



1.89 



13.09 

 29.66 



.23 



.08 



.87 



.93 



.12 



.40 



.17 



1.74 



.39 



1.47 



2.18 



5.02 



Hours. 



Hours. 



3.27 



5.59 



5.23 



18.55 



.39 



1.52 



.20 



.41 



1.47 



5.80 



1.75 



5.75 



.32 



.60 



1.00 



2.00 



.43 



.86 



4.46 



8.46 



1.00 



1.89 



7.34 





4.41 



13.09 



10.36 



29.66 



Total 



Hand labor: 



Blocking and thinning . 



. Second hoeing 



Third hoeing 



Pulling and topping . . . 



23.19 



53. 40 



125.27 



17.71 



94.18 



6.45 

 2.30 

 1.16 



S.73 



32.25 



11.50 



5.80 



43.65 



Total . 



18.64 



93.20 



1 In the columns headed "Average per acre worked " are given the average cost and 

 labor expended on each acre for each operation, computed on the number of acres 

 covered by each operation. In the columns under " Average per acre of all sugar beets 

 studied" the total surveyed acreage (8,849) is the basis of computation. 



The aggregate of overhead charges for the entire area was $20.44 

 per acre, divided as follows: Land charges, $11.85; manure, $3.79; 

 machinery, $2.64; seed, $1.72; cash to run farm, 41 cents; miscel- 

 laneous, 3 cents. 



The total cost of sugar-beet production as herein shown is $56.79 

 per acre, divided as follows : Farm labor, $17.71 ; hand labor, $18.64 ; 

 overhead costs, $20.44. 



The grower can apply these data to the present requirements by 

 adjusting them to the present prices of labor, real estate, equipment, 

 and the value of beets produced. There have been no changes of 

 note in the labor requirements of production. 



(2) The information obtained indicates that the growing of sugar 

 beets can not be profitable in this region unless a yield of more than 

 8 tons of beets per acre is produced. It is also shown that each 

 farmer should grow at least 20 acres for most economical production. 



(3.) Of the total area in sugar beets, 77.2 per cent of the acreage 

 was grown at a profit. 



(4) The average acre of the region devoted to sugar beets returned 

 a profit of $11.70 after paying the cost of production. 



