GKOWIXG SUGAR BEETS IX UTAH AXD IDAHO. 11 



per acre are not far apart. The Proro district shows a very striking 



correspondence in the acreage and cash returns, but there is a shght 



difference m the yield per acre reported by the two methods. The 



Idaho Fahs records mdicated some variation hi the yield per acre, 



and this is reflected in the cash return per acre. Fewer estimates 



were obtained in the Idaho Falls area than in either of the other 



districts. 



METHOD OF PRESENTING DATA. 



The subject matter m this buUetin was prepared in two parts. 

 The first section deals with the major and minor operations performed 

 by the Utah-Idaho growers in producmg the 1914 and 1915 beet 

 crops. Each operation is treated separately. TVliile the farm prac- 

 tice studies as a whole are apphcable to 173 estimates, the different 

 methods which are described arenot aUfohowed on aUfarms. Plowing, 

 cultivating, and harvesting were operations common to aU records, 

 but the soil tihage subsequent to plowing varied considerably. This 

 was true not only with such work as harrowing, disking, leveling, and 

 roUing, but it was also noticeable in the management of the hand 

 labor. In presentmg the farm-practice data the district was taken 

 as the unit, and the results have been compiled so as to show the aver- 

 age crew, average labor requirements, and average cost per acre for 

 each of the three areas studied. 



The second part of this buUetm includes a study of the total cost 

 of production. Here the total cost of man labor and horse labor, the 

 total expense connected with the purchase of materials, and all other 

 costs, are combined for the purpose of showing the actual cost of pro- 

 ducing an acre or a ton of sugar beets on the fields which were culti- 

 vated by these growers. The different costs, are distributed over the 

 enthe beet acreage for these farms. The practice sheets show the 

 actual acreage covered, and the labor requirements as weU as the 

 acre charge are worked out on this basis. When the cost for each of 

 these items is charged against the entire beet crop, a lower figure is 

 shown. As a matter of fact, the entire crop must bear any expense 

 that may apply to a part of the acreage. 



CROP ROTATION. 



The question of rotating the farm crops has been given some atten- 

 tion in the Provo, Garland, and Idaho Falls districts. While it is 

 true that there are some farms hi each area where mdividual crops 

 are grown continuously upon the same land, the value of systematic 

 cropping has been recognized in each district, and several fairly defi- 

 nite plans may be found m actual practice. Some men are limited 

 by the number of crops which may be grown under theh individual 

 conditions, consec[uently they do not have an opportunity to give 

 the land a change at frequent intervals. Some farms contain dry 



