GROWING SUGAR BEETS IN MICHIGAN AND OHIO. 39 
In order of importance, labor comes first, comprising over 60 per 
cent of the cost of production. “ Other costs” come next, from 25 
per cent to 32 per cent of the total, while materials constitute the 
remainder. It can be readily seen that any serious farm-labor prob- 
lem is going to affect materially the cost of production of the sugar 
beet, since almost two-thirds of. the total cost involves labor alone. 
SUGAR BEET RETURNS VERSUS COST. 
The sugar companies did not all pay a uniform rate to the farmer 
for his sugar beets. Several companies paid a flat rate of $6 a ton 
for beets either delivered on board the cars at the local shipping 
point or hauled to the factory bins. One company gave $5 a ton 
for the beets, plus an additional price, or bonus, per ton, depending 
on the increase in the New York market wholesale price for sugar 
above $5 per hundredweight, during the months of October, Novem- 
ber, and December. Another sugar company paid for the beets 
on a sliding scale, dependent on the per cent of the sugar content 
of the beets. For beets testing 12 per cent, $5.25 a ton was paid, with 
an additional 40 cents per ton for each per cent above 12. Applying 
this scale, beets testing 13 per cent sugar were worth $5.65 a ton and 
14 per cent beets brought $6.05 per ton. 
Tt will be seen that, owing to the different methods of payment, 
the average receipts per acre will vary somewhat. In some cases in 
the same section, farmers contracted beets to different sugar com- 
panies and received different rates of payment. 
Table X XV gives a comparison of the beet costs and receipts per 
acre and the margin above the cost of production received by the 
farmer. 
TABLE NXV.—Average returns and margin above cost in producing sugar beets. 
Net re- | Net re- 
District Yield | Receipts| Cost per | turns per | turns in- 
; rer acre. | per acre. acre. acre for | cluding 
beets. | beet tops. 
Tons. 
CORO) a hes ek cs ates ed as emt es Ne aA ae ts ae 9.72 $54. 62 $47. 65 $6. 97 -, $8. 67 
BAC TIV a Ree ted Sy SRS, eae PL Re epee les ce ote Dean 2 kee 11. 40 68. 40 57. 42 10.98 13. 16 
GRATE Va IG Sep tee eee ANN ira en ee ots See 19.16 61. 31 53. 05 8. 26 11.34 
INOntiwesternuOhiOeeei yay ey ae he ee B35 17 71. 83 56. 04 15.79 17. 60 
The receipts per acre depend on the yield of beets produced and 
the amount received per ton. Northwestern Ohio growers received 
the lowest average price per ton, or $5.45; Grand Rapids growers got 
$6.03, the highest rate received; Alma, $6; and Caro, $5.62 a ton. 
The yield per acre is the greatest factor affecting beet receipts in the 
districts studied. | | | 
The net return per acre was obtained by subtracting the cost from 
the receipts, this item varying from $6.97 at Caro to $15.79 per acre 
