94 The Sugar-Beet in America 
No single contract includes everything. In one region 
one item is important and is mentioned ; in another region 
this item may never cause disagreement and would, 
therefore, probably not need to be mentioned. 
TYPES OF CONTRACTS 
Most beet contracts are similar in their wording and 
in the points they include but vary in such details as the 
price paid for beets, the time of performing the different 
kinds of work, and rates for sliding scales, and profit 
sharing. The flat rate contract, wherein the farmer re- 
ceives a definite price for a ton of beets regardless of 
their sugar-content or the price of sugar, is popular in 
many districts because of its simplicity and because no 
laboratory tests and complex systems of accounting are 
involved. 
The flat rate contract, however, is not likely to be so 
fair to all concerned as either the sliding scale, based on 
sugar-content of beets, or the profit-sharing plan, based 
on the price of sugar or the net profits from the manu- 
facturing of it. Although these systems of setting the 
price of beets are rather difficult to handle, they make it 
possible for the sugar company to pay more on the aver- 
age for beets, because the farmer takes part of the risk. 
Why should not both parties share the hazards of the 
business and also share in its profits? 
Most companies also have a labor contract by the 
provisions of which they assist the farmer to secure the 
hand labor required in thinning, hoeing, and digging. 
The sugar company is able to get in touch with this 
