36 BULLETIN 735, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
where the fields are small and there is much turning to do. Few 
of these men had small areas, their average acreage being above 30. 
The average yield per acre on the 305 farms covered by this study 
was 10.76 tons, and the information gathered indicates that a yield 
of 8.87 tons per acre is required in order to pay expenses. There was 
a loss on 2,019 acres (22.8 per cent of the total acreage) and a profit 
on 6,830 acres (77.2 per cent of the total acreage). (Table XII.) 
Taste XII.—The cost and profit from sugar beets as related to yields per acre 
and to acreage per farm in the Billings region in 1915. 
F 5 age of a | en age of 
Classification. total acreage 
= showing 
acreage. Cost. Profit. Cost. aoa a profit. 
Yields per acre: 
MFO INOS ia owas sledooodedsosboS sgl £43.13 | —$19. 66 $12.59 | +5. 74 None 
AWAGE HD ts OLAS ese re sited ure pete eR ee ae 3.14 45.18 | — 12.66 OO) (SS Res Do 
LSE OU GIE OM SEE Mare isaac eine, wSerere 3.76 46.91 | — 7.20 Dosa |i 1 Do 
Gal) WO WOW eb Sess sdogedassonGease ss 3.54 51.36 | — 5.90 EO Seka 1 
FT EOISEOUSE Gee hye dL eee eM 8.53 Sie 52ule— 856 62508 7 On 57.7 
QUT COLOM OMS ae ete ek ae ate ere 8. 59 55. 85 1.45 6. 26 16 66.1 
ORtOsIOGONSP ewe ea ae 13.3 55. 87 6. 58 | 5. 64 66 WHE 
HL OSG © wll GOS Weeps eer eis rae en ee 11.90 56. 07 12. 84 5.14 Te 96.8 
ST GOpUA OMS mse Lge aes vee 17.30 59. 93 16.34 5.00 | 1.36 99 
TOME Ol Sib OMS ihe WO eA yeas 11.63 58. 61 23.48 4.58 1. 83 100 
ASE GOPL ATOMS et wee ort See eRe ee 6.35 60. 47 28.15 4.32 2.02 97.7 
ATE OME ONS eae te erage ae a eae eek ane {oils} 65. 40 28. 55 4.36 1.91 100 
SelnbOeLOrcCONSemae =a ass Vee ee re 2.40 64. 64 33.95 4.06 23 100 
IGE HONS (ore TaN OOS. 4 Se Seaveobowe saccade 63 Oi NO) 30. 91 4.55 1.83 92.6 
IDSC) FSU OSS SS Sg ee hee ea nee aie 100 56. 79 11.70 5. 28 1.08 HD 
Per acre. 
‘ ; Average | Number 
Classification. aren 3 A EaS. : - 
Yield. Value. Cost. | Profit. 
Area in beets per farm: Acres. Tons. 
NCTE SIOTH CSOs eu atn i Mirna ne pepe a ee nat 4.6 10 | 11.7 $74. 80 $74. 46 $0. 34 
GrvOulOlaACKnes wees be ete ee een eo ee ese ea 8.7 37 10.3 66. 83 60. 95 5.78 
TU FOMDIACECS Hse eee aaa ee 13.2 26 10.8 69. 08 62. 21 6. 87 
GG ORZ OFA CEES eye iee etse estat aye ree eo pape 18.1 41 10.4 66.17 58. 12 8.05 
PAECOR. OFACRES Heyy ae were ee esac nea 26.0 79 10.7 68. 82 55. 63 13.19 
SG Or4 OAC ee eee et eee 36.6 59 10.8 68. 76 56. 48 12. 28 
AN AHO) UCONN. Sad Aken eae sane e Baul 46.2 27 11.0 70.10 56.18 13.92 
Sil Tio) GO BORE aE oy OSU Bee ee rs 55.5 11 10.8 67.33 53.94 13.39 
Bi ONETIGO/ACECS ao eiee si seco pale eae eee hake ee 88.6 15 10.5 67.19 55. 82 lL Be 
TRO tae ees tee een PERE Pi ReaD 29.1 | 305 10. 76 68. 49 56. 79 11.70 
Table XII indicates that the acreage of beets per farm had little 
to do with the yield per acre but had much influence as to the profits 
per acre within certain limits. It appears that each farmer should 
plant at least 20 acres of beets in order to have them grown most 
economically. Above 20 acres there seems to be but slight variation 
in the cost of production or profits per acre. 
a: SUMMARY. 
(1) The data gathered from 305 farms in the Billings region of 
Montana give the total hours of labor required to produce beets and 
the other costs of production for the season of 1915. (Table XIII.) 
