UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 726 



OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 



Joint Contribution from the Office of Farm Management 



W. J. SPILLMAN, Chief 



and 



Bureau of Plant Industry 



W. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



December 14, 1918 



FARM PRACTICE IN GROWING SUGAR BEETS 



FOR THREE DISTRICTS IN COLORADO 



1914-15 



By 



L. A. MOORHOUSE, Agriculturist, R. S. WASHBURN, Scientific 



Assistant, and T. H. SUMMERS, Scientific Assistant, 



Office of Farm Management 



and 



S. B. NUCKOLS, Assistant Agriculturist, Office of 

 Sugar-Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 1 



Summary 3 



Method 4 



Development of Industry 5 



Climatic Conditions 7 



Size <*f 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 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1918 



