32 



BULLETIN 693^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



second hoeing varied from 5.7 to 8.1 hours per acre, involving costs 

 of SI. 14 to $1.54 per acre. Eleven growers in the Provo district 

 reported on a third hoeing. The labor in this case amounted to 

 5.6 hours per acre, with a cost of $1.12 per acre. Weeding was 

 shown on 15 records, 13 of wliich came from Provo. The cost for 

 this work was 88 cents per acre. 



Table XX. — Coinparative contract prices for hand lahor. 



Band of work. 



Blocking and thinning 



First hoeing 



Second hoeing 



Topping and loading 12 tons 



Total 



District. 



Garland. Provo. Idaho Falls 



$6. 00 

 2. .50 

 1.50 

 7.80 



17.! 



$5.00 

 2.50 

 1.75 

 7.20 



16.45 



S6.00 

 2.50 

 1.50 



10.00 



20.00 



Certain growers made a j)ractice of doing a part of the handwork 

 themselves, the remainder of tliis labor being done by contract. In 

 the Garland and Provo districts several operators contracted the 

 blocking ^nd thinning, also the puUing and topping, but most of the 

 hoeing was done by the family. The contract prices which were 

 paid in these areas varied considerably. (See Table XX.) The 

 usual price for blocking and thinning at Provo was $5 per acre, while 

 pulhng and topping cost 60 cents per ton. At Garland $6 per acre 

 was the customary price for blocking and tliinning, and the prevailing 

 rate for pulling and topping was 65 cents per ton. A few growers 

 contracted hand labor on a tonnage basis at $1.65 to $1.90 per ton. 

 On the other hand, a few jDaid a flat price of $21 per acre for a 12-ton 

 yield, making provision for a bonus of 50 to 75 cents per ton in cases 

 where the yield exceeded the stipulated return. At Idaho Falls the 

 general practice included the payment of $20 per acre for a 12-ton 

 yield, with a bonus of 60 cents per ton for each increment of 1 ton. 

 Where the yield falls below 12 tons per acre, the' grower has the 

 privilege of deducting 50 cents for each ton below the yield stated in 

 the agreement. 



Frequently the topping is done directly from the row of standing 

 beets, while in other cases the beets are pulled and placed in piles, 

 from which the topping is done. It should be stated that the lifter 

 loosens the beet in the soil so that the roots can be taken out readily 

 by hand. For some districts the topping, especially when placed on 

 a contract basis, included some work loading beets from the field 

 piles. The cost per acre at the usual contract rates is somewhat 

 higher than the average cost given by the growers who did this work 

 themselves. Seventy-seven estimates were obtained on pulling and 

 topping practice, and the results are shown in Table XXI. 



