GROWING SUGAR BEETS IN THE BILLINGS REGION. 
37 
TABLE XIII.—Summary of labor requirements for the production of sugar beets.” 
[Man labor is rated at 20 cents per hour and horse labor at 10 cents per hour.] 
Average per acre worked. Vere ODE peed SUBaE 
Kind of labor. rr) 
Cost. Man. Horse. Cost. Man. | Horse 
| 
| 
Farm labor: Hours. Hours. Hours. Hours. 
IN Giatihebile pes ee Ae eee saa $3.31 8.90 15.30 $1.21 Be PALL 5.5 
AAT ah TA ayy Re EL Ch Er etate at 2.54 4.59 16.18 Pe 
Crowning alfalfa...._........2..000 Hill 048 4°35 | 16.14 230 5.23 IBS 
IDG ates Ge aes ac ene eeE a raR oer a Seed 1.09 1. 84 7.19 .23 .39 1.52 
Vol ineaaia dese eee eee eens .29 5 ffl 1.49 -08 . 20 41 
INO AUO TS ees is Ua eme en ein ees om . 89 all 5.96 5teih 1.47 5.80 
ELALTOWAIN ER osc es Se terse Seeley ajc ne .93 1.75 5.79 -93 1.75 5.75 
Cleaning ditches.......-.-- Fi ae ie oer aa old ABY 61 -12 -o2 . 60 
Plantingiscedisae ake Ce eek sete Sere .40 1.00 2.00 - 40 1.00 2.00 
EVO ira Gre et ame ee se Porwiere saver ce eegayata ora OL lite 1.55 5 Al?/ 4 . 86 
Culltivabingeeee eer ceases Bree 1.74 4.46 8. 46 1.74 4.46 8.46 
JOT RON ALOE A ein aes Sree ore Sel ite .39 1.00 1.89 39 1.00 1.89 
TBARS Ao ee cou ab ormoramere macs ie | 1.49 ABT Pen saonee 1.47 TESA U (ete eememe 
URS ba Ree sh cae aa eit let oe oe een ear ae aa 2.18 4.41 13.09 2.18 4.41 13.09 
MEV OUTS Sarat ssa ae are, ieee ey reel cisie oe 5.12 10.36 29.66 9. 02 10.36 29. 66 
FTO Ga eee ten Rey Seco Bites See Gm ANS Sac 23.19 53.40 125. 27 Wife (ft 41.76 94.18 
Hand labor: 
Bachchans eyoval MorhabonN ae Ake Beate Ho ase epeonalloosacsaosellascopece pe 6.45 S2EZOy |e eee 
Secondnoein eee eee ee aot alL MO Oo ep I rrles abas e pal) a eae 2.30 De 505 eee ee 
Mir Gbhnoein Seer eee aerate a oe IPiy Re - RDez PeII arc este el hae eee here 1.16 DsSOulis seek See 
EU Sea Tat OP UI Bees rts se reine |S ere os te ayers [ears eee Ie yopsiaeee oe 8.73 43\'G5ul Gea oes 
STNG) jell CRNA pats Sted eo oMe Rss FUN Melts Laie cre eS ec cia he ms 18.64 93420) Meee 
1JIn the columns headed ‘‘Average per acre worked” are given the average cost and 
' labor expended on each acre for each operation, computed on the number of acres 
covered by each operation. In the columns under ‘“ Average per acre of all sugar beets 
studied ’’ the total surveyed acreage (8,849) is the basis of computation. 
The aggregate of overhead charges for the entire area was $20.44 
per acre, divided as follows: Land charges, $11.85; manure, $3.79; 
machinery, $2.64; seed, $1.72; cash to run farm, 41 cents; miscel- 
laneous, 3 cents. 
The total cost of sugar-beet production as herein shown is $56.79 
per acre, divided as follows: Farm labor, $17.71; hand labor, $18.64; 
overhead costs, $20.44. 
The grower can apply these data to the present requirements by 
adjusting them to the present prices of labor, real estate, equipment, 
and the value of beets produced. There have been no changes of 
note in the labor requirements of production. 
(2) The information obtained indicates that the growing of sugar 
beets can not be profitable in this region unless a yield of more than 
8 tons of beets per acre is produced. It is also shown that each 
farmer should grow at least 20 acres for most economical production. 
(3) Of the total area in sugar beets, 77.2 per cent of the acreage 
was grown at a profit. 
_ (4) The average acre of the region devoted to sugar beets returned 
a profit of $11.70 after paying the cost of production. 
