UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 760 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 
Joint Contribution from the Office of Farm Management 
i R. L. ADAMS, Acting Chief 
and 
Bureau of Plant Industry 
W.A.TAYLOR, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
March 14, 1919 
FARM PRACTICE IN GROWING SUGAR BEETS 
IN THREE CALIFORNIA DISTRICTS 
By 
T. EL. SUMMERS, Scientific Assistant, L. A. MOORHOUSE, Agriculturist, 
and R. S. WASHBURN, Scientific Assistant, Office of 
Farm Management 
and 
* C. O. TOWNSEND, Pathologist in Charge of Sugar-Plant 
Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry 
CONTENTS 
Page 
Summary of Results 3 
Method of Investigation ...... 3 
History and Development of the Sugar- 
Eeet Industry in California , . . . 4 
Agriculture of Areas Studied 6 
Farm Practices 11 
Cost of Producing Sugar Beets .... 36 
Summary and Distribution of Costs . 42 
Page 
Average Returns and Margin Above Cost 43 
The Effect of Size of Beet Acreage and 
Yield Per Acre on the Cost of Produc- 
tion ............. 44 
Value of the Sugar-Beet Tops .... 45 
Beet Receipts in Comparison With Other 
Farm Receipts ......... 46 
Labor Requirements ...... c . 4£ 
WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1919 
2^ 
