46 
BULLETIX 726, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
hand labor on this basis, this item would have approximated 47 per 
cent of the total labor charge. It will be remembered that several 
growers did their own hand labor at a lower cost for this work than 
the contract price, hence the total charge for the latter in the district 
was reduced slightly for this reason. 
MATERIALS. 
The materials that were bought or used in the production of beets 
within these districts included seed, manure, poison for control of 
insects, and water. These items were therefore treated separately as 
a part of the expense incident to raising this crop (Table XXV). 
Table XXV. — Cost of materials for three Colorado districts. 
District. 
Year. 
Xumber 
of farm 
records. 
Total 
a r -res in 
beets. 
Cost per acre. 
Cost per 
Seed. 
Manure. Water. 
Total. 
ton. 
1914-15 
1915 
1914-15 
195 
66 
106 
5.02S.40 
2.-155.50 
2.42S.95 
si. go 
in. ,io ! sn. 5i ' 
S7. - 
6.16 
5.60 
$<\ 50 
Fort Morgan 
2.11 3.46 1 .." 
.45 
Rocky Ford 
2.16 
2.93 i .50 1 
.43 
Beet seed. — The sugar company usually arranges to maintain a 
supply of seed sufficient for one or two seasons in advance. War c on- 
ditions have interfered seriously with the importation of seed from 
abroad, consequently the ordinary stocks have been depleted and it 
has been necessary to urge the use of less seed per acre in starting the 
crop. 
Seed was planted at the rate of 21 pounds per acre at Eocky Ford. 
18.9 pounds per acre at Fort Morgan, and IS pounds per acre at 
Greeley. A charge of 10 cents per pound was made for the beet 
seed. This would seem to indicate that the actual cost for seed in 
the Fort Morgan area should be S1.S9 per acre in place of 82.11. as 
shown in the foregoing table. However, there was some replanting 
in each district and the cost of the seed used for this purpose, when 
charged to the entire acreage for each region, made the acre cost in 
1914 and 1915 slightly more than the standard cost. There was a 
difference of 36 cents between the acre charge for seed as reported 
by the Greeley operators and that given for the Eocky Ford group. 
Manure. — The value of the farm manure applied was estimated by 
each grower and served as a basis in computing the amount that 
should be charged against the 1914 and 1915 sugar beet crop. The 
Greeley and Fort Morgan growers manured essentially 50 per cent of 
the land in beets, whereas in the Kooky Ford section only 41 per 
cent of the beet land was treated. There was considerable variation 
in the rate of application. The Eocky Ford group had the lowest 
rate. 11.8 tons per acre, while the Greeley growers had the highest. 
