UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 963 
Contribution from the Office of Farm Management and 
Farm Economics 
H. C. TAYLOR, Chief 
In Cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry 
W. A. TAYLOR, Chief 
- Washington, D. C. v September 21, 1921 
COST OF PRODUCING SUGAR BEETS IN UTAH AND 
| IDAHO, 1918-1919. 
‘By L. A. Moornouss, Associate Farm Economist, Office of Farm Management and 
Farm Economics, and 8. B. Nucxotus, Agriculturist, Sugar-Plant Investigations, 
Bureau of Plant Industry. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page 
ERGLOUU CULOM ys (eo slm ie eats nates aioe. die elnicia csi ere 1 | Weve) Oi eH OR ate sondoensuageoBn EO SdoasOnOOe 9 
Scope and method ofstudy........--.-..---- 2 | Cost of, producing sugar beets...........-.... 9 
PRC ASSUCICC oo. aaaanre sates oka h ese eA Ag iF CLOp TOU OM same as ua as = aiare al 8 a= bee eee hele 21 
Sat CLOMATIM 2c So cneciatinns Seenjeae eee se ee Ge ee pornmequiem Cnitsmesenaseereee meee aeeemcee 22 
Wenure offarms.surveyed..-.....-022-0.- 02. 7 | Comparison of beet receipts with other farm 
Distribution of farm and crop area.-.-..-..-.-- 7 POCCUM USE piace eras ore sina eta ete ela erereysisiote a 41 
Comparison of farm estimates with factory 
ROCORUS eens tO Ate eS e eee cc eee Mee ctioe ; 8 | 
INTRODUCTION. 
The data in this bulletin are based upon 220 farm estimates given 
by beet growers in five irrigated districts in Utah and Idaho—namely, 
Lehi, in Utah County, Utah; Garland, in Boxelder County, Utah; 
Idaho Falls, in Bonneville County, Idaho; Blackfoot, in Bingham 
County, Idaho; and Twin Falls, in Twin Falls County, Idaho. 
(Fig. 1.) The cost estimates obtained in the first four counties are 
for the year 1918. The records from the Twin Falls area are for 
1919. | 
Special attention is given to a consideration of the basic factors 
of production. The hours of man labor and horse labor required 
in growing sugar beets do not vary greatly from year to year, and 
the pounds of seed used and the tons of manure applied remain 
fairly constant. Values, however, may fluctuate widely within a 
relatively short period; hence costs reported on a money basis solely 
_have proved to be very unsatisfactory, especially when comparisons 
are involved and the results for two different periods are sct up side 
48116°—21—Bull. 963—1 
iE 
