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It would be difficult to make an estimate of the average 
yield per acre of sugar beets in Colorado during 1897. The 
extreme would be from half a ton to nearly forty tons per 
acre. The beets on the College farm were a very poor stand 
owing to bad weather at the time of planting. The differ- 
ent fields varied from half a stand to hardly a quarter of a 
full stand. The rows were two feet apart and the entire 
crops, taking all the ground planted, were from eight to 
twelve tons to the acre. 
The average of hfteen fields at Sterling and Fort Mor- 
gan is 17.4 tons of beets per acre gross weight, equivalent 
to about 15 tons of trimmed beets ready for the factory. 
The weights of the crops on the Divide are of course 
much less than these figures. The valleys of the Arkansas 
and Grand have given about the same yields as that of the 
Platte, while the San Luis valley comes forward with some 
surprisingly large yields. Chas. Milne, at Lajara, reports 
about thirty tons to the acre, testing 16.4 per cent sugar and 
84.3 per cent purity; while N. G. Shaw, at Alamosa, har- 
vested over fifteen tons of beets from a measured half acre 
of ground and the beets tested 17.0 per cent sugar and 85.9 
per cent purity. One of the heaviest yields reported is that 
of J. A. Davis, at Berthoud, who raised at the rate of 35 
tons to the acre testing 16.7 per cent sugar and 84.5 per cent 
purity. 
Probably the most prohtable sugar beets raised in Col- 
orado the past season were those grown by J. W. Bacon, 
seven miles east of Longmont. When his field was pre- 
pared for wheat, he left out about an acre and planted this 
later to sugar beets, giving the land but one more harrow- 
ing in addition to its preparation for wheat. Only three 
pounds of seed were used per acre, in drills thirty-two inches 
apart, sown with the ordinary wheat drill. The plants were 
not thinned, were irrigated but twice, when the water was 
.turned on the wheat, and received only such cultivation as 
would be given an ordinary .field of corn. The crop from 
the acre was twenty-one tons of beets, which tested 15.0 per 
cent sugar and 81.4 per cent purity. 
QUAIJTY OF CROP. 
The question of the quality of the crop has been referred 
to several times in speaking of its quantity. In making any 
estimate of the quality of the beets raised in Colorado in 
1897, it is of course unfair to use any of the analyses made 
of crops that were known to be unripe. By the middle of 
October it is fair to presume that the sugar content had 
