Conditions for Growing Sugar-Beets 47 
To get this result, it is necessary, or at least desirable, 
that small houses be built near the fields. Plate V 
shows desirable houses for this purpose. Provision for 
suitable living conditions for those who must do hard 
manual labor is a greater factor in getting and keeping 
hired labor than is realized by many farmers. Many 
suitable workers could be induced to move to the farms 
to meet the labor situation if more suitable living condi- 
tions and better pay were provided. 
Where gangs of foreign laborers are imported, they are 
much more contented and do better work if they work 
together in colonies rather than as individuals. To 
satisfy this condition requires large acreages. In some 
communities movable houses are used by the contracting 
laborers, the houses being moved from field to field as 
necessary. These houses are very desirable where the 
individual fields in a district are too small to make it 
worth while to build permanent houses. 
The labor question is probably the most difficult gen- 
eral problem with which the sugar-beet growers have to 
contend. It is a problem that must be handled by com- 
munity action or by the sugar companies who are gen- 
erally well prepared to secure and distribute this labor, 
since they can determine through their field men the 
approximate labor situation throughout the territory 
contributing beets to their factory. If the farmers can 
be induced to report their probable labor needs to these 
field men in advance, the proper amount of imported 
labor usually can be secured. 
The United States Government is attempting to keep 
in touch with the labor situation in all parts of the country 
