UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 963 



J'^T^^^U 



Contribution from the Office of Farm Management and 



Farm Economics 



H. C. TAYLOR, Chief 



In Cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 W. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



s\j^<^^u 



Washington, D. C. 



September 21, 1921 



COST OF PRODUCING SUGAR BEETS IN UTAH AND 

 IDAHO, 1918-1919. 



By L. A. MooRHOusE, Associate Farm Economist, Office of Farm Management and 

 Farm Economics, and S. B. Nuckols. Acjriculturist, Sugar-Plant Investigations, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry. 



CONTENTS. 



Page 



Introduction 



Scope and method of study 



Areas studied 



Size of farm 



Tenure of farms surveyed 



Distribution of farm and crop area 



Comparison of farm estimates with factory 

 records 



Value of labor 9 



Cost of producing sujar beets 9 



Crop rotation 21 



Labor requirements 22 



Comparison of beet receipts with other farm 



receipts 41 



INTRODUCTION. 



The data in this bulletin are based upon 220 farm estimates given 

 by beet growers in five irrigated districts in LTtah and Idaho — namely, 

 Lehi, in Utah County, Utah; Garland, in Boxelder County, Utah; 

 Idaho Falls, in Bonneville County, Idaho; Blackfoot, in Bingham 

 County, Idaho; and Twin Falls, in Twin Falls Count}^, Idaho. 

 (Fig. 1.) The cost estimates obtained in the hrst four counties are 

 for the year 1918. The records from the Twin Falls area are for 

 1919. 



Special attention is given to a consideration of the basic factors 

 of production. The hours of man labor and horse labor required 

 in growing sugar beets do not vary greatly from year tt) year, and 

 the pounds of seed used and the tons of manure applietl remain 

 fairly constant. Values, however, may fluctuate widely witliin a 

 relatively short period; hence cost- reported on a money basis solely 

 have proved to be very unsatisfactory, especially when ciunparisons 

 are involved and the results for two different periods are set up side 



48116°— 21— Bull. 903 1. 



