34 BULLETIN 148, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



Table XXI. — Labor costs. 



District. 



Number 

 of farm 

 records. 



Total 



acres in 



beets 



Labor 



cost per 



acre. 



Yield 

 per acre 



Labor 



cost per 



ton. 





134 

 53 

 36 



97 



2,017.65 

 505. 79 

 230. 53 



1,524.65 



$31. 40 

 35.21 

 34.19 

 34.02 



Tons. 

 9.73 

 11.40 

 10.16 

 13.17 



$3.23 





3.09 





3.36 





2.58 







The labor cost is by far the largest item of expense, constituting 

 over 60 per cent of the total cost of production. This item was prac- 

 tically the same in the Grand Eapids and northwestern Ohio areas. 

 It will be noticed, however, that the labor cost was about $4 less 

 per acre in the Caro area than in the Alma district. This variation 

 is probably due to the variation in beet acreage per farm. At Alma 

 an average of 9.54 acres of beets per farm was grown; at Caro 14.51 

 acres. The labor cost per acre is usually less on a large acreage than 

 on a small one, on account of the more efficient employment of labor. 

 In some cases the. preparation for a given operation consumed as 

 much time as the work itself. This is especially true on a very small 

 acreage, since the time required to get the team ready and go to the 

 field is as great for a small field as for a larger field of beets. 



At Caro 15.1 acres were grown per farm, and in northwestern 

 Ohio 15.72 acres. The average yield in the former district was con- 

 siderably smaller than in the latter, where it was necessary to handle 

 more beets, and consequently more labor was required to do the work. 

 Not only was the beet acreage per farm smaller at both Alma and 

 Grand Eapids than at Caro, but the yields per acre were higher. 

 These two factors influenced the labor cost per acre in the Alma and 

 Grand Rapids areas. 



COST OF MATERIALS. 



The cost of materials includes the items of manure, fertilizer, and 

 seed. The estimated value of the manure in the yard and the actual 

 expenditure for seed and fertilizer are charged against the beets. 

 Table XXII shows the cost per acre for each of these three items and 

 the total cost of materials per acre and per ton. 



Table XXII. — Qost of materials. 



District. 



Caro 



Alma 



Grand Rapids 



Northwestern Ohio 



Num- 

 ber of 

 farm 

 rec- 

 ords. 



Total 



acres in 



beets. 





Cost per acre. 





Manure. 



Fertilizer. 



Seed. 



Total. 



134 



53 

 36 



97 



2,017.65 

 505. 79 

 230. 53 



1,524.65 



$1.90 



2.92 



2.68 



.74 



$1.19 

 .81 

 1.22 

 .73 



$2.34 

 2.30 

 2.13 

 2.28 



$5.43 

 6.03 

 6.03 

 3.75 



Cost 

 per ton. 



3.56 

 .53 

 .59 

 .29 



