8 BULLETIN 693, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



the earliest frost dates for Utah. The'season at Idaho Falls is prob- 

 ably somewhat shorter than the period indicated for the lower 

 elevations. The Idaho Falls district not only has a higher elevation 

 than the other two, but this area is also some distance farther north 

 than Utah or Boxelder Counties. 



The farms included in this study were located largely on four 

 distinct soil types. Fortunately, the Bureau of Soils had classified 

 considerable areas in the three districts selected for these observa- 

 tions. In so far as these records are concerned, the Jordan loam is 

 the most important soil type in the Provo and Garland sections. 

 This type has been described as loamy in character, having a depth 

 of 3 feet, and being imderlaid with a stiff, tenacious clay. It is 

 essentially a heavy soil and requires more than an average amount 

 of work to maintain the proper tilth. It is well suited, however, to 

 the production of sugar beets. A few records were taken on Mari- 

 copa gravelly loam below Provo. Likemse a small number came 

 from Malade fine sandy loam south of Garland. At Idaho Falls the 

 Yakima loam is the prevailing type. This soil was built upon 

 gravelly loam or water-worn gravel. It is stated that the Yakima 

 loam is easily tilled, loose in texture, and bakes very little on exposure 

 after irrigation.^ 



SIZE OF FARM IN RELATION TO BEET ACREAGE. 



A few of the 1914 estimates were taken on farms producing less 

 than 5 acres of beets. The enterprise records for 1915 were confined 

 almost entirely to farms producing 5 or more acres of beets. It was 

 felt that the man who was growing less than 5 acres of beets would 

 not be prepared to give reliable information on field operations, such 

 as harrowmg, rolling, floating, cultivating, etc., because the 2 or 

 3 acre field does not provide sufficient area to keep the crew employed 

 for any considerable length of time, hence the operator would not 

 have the necessary foundation upon which to build his estimate con- 

 cerning a day's work. All of the counties represented in this study 

 contam a i datively large nmnber of small farms, many of these units 

 not planting more than 3 or 4 acres to sugar beets. A study of Table 

 III will give the reader some idea as to the size of the farms in the 

 four counties represented m this survey. These figures were taken 

 from the Thirteenth United States Census Report. The table also 

 contains a classification of the farms which were included in this 

 survey. 



1 This paragraph is based upon work done by U. S. Department of Agrieultiu'e, Bureau of Soils: Soil 

 Survey, Provo Area, Utah, 1903; Soil Survey, Bear River Area, Utah, 1904; and Soil Survey, Blackfoot 

 Area, Idaho, 1903. 



