UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 726 
J^ Joint Contribution from the Office of Farm Management, *\£*i 
W. J. SPILLMAN, Chief, and Bureau of Plant Industry, °^&y 
W. A. TAYLOR, Chief. J^T^^mTU 
Washington, D. C. 
December 14, 1918 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 1 
Summary 3 
Method 4 
Development of industry 5 
Climatic conditions 7 
Size of farms 9 
Relation of beet acreage to irrigated area 10 
Crop rotations 11 
Man and horse labor 13 
Farm practice 14 
Cost of producing sugar beets 45 
Profit 50 
Summary of costs by tenure 51 
Cost in relation to acreage and yield 52 
Value of beet tops 55 
Relative importance of beet receipts 56 
Variations in farm practice 56 
INTRODUCTION. 
The data presented in this bulletin are based upon 371 * farm esti- 
mates 2 obtained from representative sugar-beet growers in four 
counties in Colorado, viz, Otero, Morgan, Larimer, and Weld (fig. 1). 
These estimates are for the crop years 1914 and 1915. Agricultural 
conditions were approximately normal during this period. 
While four counties were included in this survey, the records have 
been worked out in three distinct groups. The agricultural condi- 
tions in Weld and Larimer Counties were found to be very similar, 
hence it was thought that in this study these two areas could be 
combined to advantage (referred to in this bulletin as the Greeley 
district). Conditions prevailing in Morgan and Otero Counties were 
such, however, that it seemed desirable to work out the reports for 
these districts separately (referred to, respectively, as the Fort Mor- 
gan and Rocky Ford districts). 3 
1 Some of the tables that are presented in this bulletin apply only to the crop year 1915. Four farm 
records, within the total number, contained complete notes and data on field practice, but they did not 
afford full information <x>ncerning all of the cost factors. Several of the summary tables are, therefore, 
based upon 367 records. 
2 This is the second of a series of bulletins giving the results of an investigation relative to the practice 
and cost of growing sugar beets in four of the most important sugar-beet areas in the United States. The 
practice and cost of growing beets in California and Michigan will be treated in later publications. 
3 The Office of Farm Management and the Office of Sugar Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Indus- 
try, cooperated in taking the farm records. The latter office was interested in securing a detailed account 
of the farmer's method of growing this crop. It was thought that these data would be of very great value 
in planning agronomic experiments for the purpose of solving some of the urgent problems that have arisen 
in areas where the sugar beet is cultivated. Acknowledgment is due to the farmers in these districts who 
gave willingly of their time in order to provide complete information concerning their field methods and 
also the details of their farm business, so that certain economic phases might be studied thoroughly. 
Acknowledgment is also due Dr. A. L. Thomson, expert, Joe G. 1411, assistant, and James W. Jones, agri- 
culturist, who assisted in collecting field data. 
69805°— 18— Bull. 726 1 
