UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EEO OES 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 
WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 
Washington, D. C. : Vv November 15, 1918 
FARM PRACTICE IN GROWING SUGAR BEETS IN 
THE BILLINGS REGION OF MONTANA.' 
By S. B. Nucxots, Assistant Agriculturist, Office of Sugar-Plant Investigations, 
and HE. L. Currier, Professor of Farm Management, Montana Agricultural 
College. 
CONTENTS. 
Page Page 
BasistompWelStuGyjs aictieicc ac cies isi eiee te ee ete De Ditchin geprachiceeueaae ese. sae eee ee 17 
PROCCUURE Me oe ose Weise tice nd amisisosisc Wades Oe eee laniGin apeet Sec Cisse eee eee ee ea 18 
Description Olvhe rezion|studied=—.-.--55--. 2 | Rolling land after beets are planted.........- 19 
Development of the sugar-beet industry in Culuivationyol bectissassessss seas oe ee eee 20 
Chepeallimasmegtonmeness. 22025 s40. 0.) 062 App Hurnowing 107 iri gation. 2s. .e neceesse eee 22 
Trrigated area in beets in 1915.....- PAE Mo AST 4° || Irrigating the: sugar-beet crops=.---..-.---.-- 23 
IPREWIOUS ClO. HaGHAS aE e EES eee Gun eelniGinepracticesessa= sees eee eee eee 26 
NDT CLOMID DOTS ees. cles A a Ua Hal EL aan Ss DCCES A apes ea ieeeees ee ae yee AT ph ea 26 
IMamUnineMpLAChICOst ase see see eee eesesene Wo \eeland) Oricontrackaboneaee sep ees sees eee 29 
OWA eR TAC EI COs yr haces s)he cciclaslsoiwic cee 1 Coston seed fonsucarsbeetseae- ase 31 
Crowning alfalfa sod in preparing land for Costiotimachinenyeass-esea-eee oe eae ae 31 
SOUS S 6 SES Sere ee Ne ae ee Pa er 13 | Prorating interest on the investment....-..-- 32 
DIskanogoractl COsepeeey sss esic oes ee eeniee: 14 |-Cost of land for sugar beets.-..-.2--2.-:-.--- 32 
Floating practice ............-. Ne Gad. bel sake 14 | Relation of yields to cost and profit.........- 34 
EFAGLOW INE TACTICE: =... 2 onic 2 eieise ens = ook IGE Ie, SUMMA TY e Shomer sele s aite ae tole aici e crepe eae 36 
OMIM PW DTACCICO scie-- 1-2 eos oe oN EY) 
BASIS OF THE STUDY. 
To obtain data on methods of management, labor. requirements, 
and cost of growing sugar-beets, studies were conducted on a large 
number of farms during the summer of 1916 in the area which grows 
beets for the beet-sugar factory at Billings, Mont., including farms 
1 This bulletin was prepared jointly by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station 
and the Bureau of Plant Industry and with the approval of the Office of Farm Manage- 
ment. The blanks used in collecting these data were prepared in the Office of Farm 
Management, ‘hence the material incorporated in this bulletin is identical in form with 
that in the other bulletins of this series prepared'‘jointly by the Office of Farm Manage- 
ment and the Bureau of Plant Industry. The members of the staff of the Office of Farm 
Management were engaged in taking records in other localities at the time this work was 
done, and for that reason they are not represented in connection with the preparation of 
this bulletin. 
1 
82031°—Bull. 735—18——1 
