4 
The Sugar Beet as a Farm Crop 
[A number of Eastern readers have asked us to 
obtain the opinion of Western sugar beet growers as to 
the economic value of the sugar beet in farming. I he 
first article follows.] 
N EXTENSIVE CROP—There are some 12,000 
acres of beets grown in this territory; that is, 
tributary to our factory, with an average yield this 
past year of 12.2 tons per acre, which is close to 
what it will run other years. The price received for 
last year’s beets was about $7.88 per ton. I give this 
because bonuses were paid at intervals during the 
year, the sugar selling for more than the expected, 
price. Beets were paid for at a “flat” rate at first. 
This was $5 per ton when the factory was first start¬ 
ed. Then later a basic price was adopted, with an 
increase for each .5 per cent of sugar content 
(which runs from 10 to 12 per cent up). Now, as I 
understand, not only the sugar content but the sell¬ 
ing price of sugar enters in to determine the price 
paid per ton for the beets. 
DISSATISFIED FARMERS.—There is no doubt 
that the sugar industry has done a great deal for 
the prosperity of this section. Yet the farmers are 
far from satisfied. They are heavily burdened with 
debts, and are not getting ahead. A beet growers’ 
association has been in existence for several years, 
and each year has tried to rally the farmers for a 
firm stand for a more favorable contract, but so far 
has largely failed of that object, although I have no 
doubt their fight has produced results in the way of 
later concessions. 
CAUSES OF DISCONTENT.—As I see it, the 
causes of dissatisfaction are somewhat as follows: 
1. The increased prices of labor, seed, land, etc., 
have raised the cost of producing an acre of beets 
above the returns from the same. 2. Other crops 
can be grown which will give about the same return 
with far less unpleasant work and worry. 3. (Which 
personally I feel is the main cause of discontent) is 
the feeling that the sugar company is not “dividing 
even”—that it is making big profits and paying big 
dividends, while the grower is barely meeting ex¬ 
penses. However this may be, that condition is cer¬ 
tainly not ideal where a great corporation is in a 
position to practically dictate to the whole com¬ 
munity of farmers. 
BEETS AND OTHER CROPS.—There are some 
other facts, however, which are closely connected 
with beet growing and affect the value of that crop. 
From observation, it seems to me that the clean cul¬ 
ture, deep tillage, and Fall working of the soil, per¬ 
haps have a great deal to do in increasing the yield 
of other crops. Also, should not the removal from 
the soil of the necessary elements for plant growth 
be considered? I would expect this to be compara¬ 
tively small in the case of beets. The beets tops are 
a crop in themselves of considerable value. And 
lastly, the beet pulp is available for feeding. Con¬ 
sidering all these, the question arises if our live 
stock industry and our whole system of farming are 
not directly or indirectly based upon and profiting 
by the growth of sugar beets. John s. congdon. 
Colorado. • 
Holding Eggs in Storage 
Under the slogan “Do it yourself” I have under con¬ 
sideration the following idea to realize the maximum 
from my egg production. I have a receiver who has a 
retail store in your great city who takes all my egg pro¬ 
duction except in the Spring maximum yield. At this 
time it becomes necessary to unload to another general 
receiver (wholesale dealer) who generally unloads on 
me because I only ship to him when in distress. l am 
considering putting my exces's eggs at that time into 
cold storage (there is one a few miles away) and then 
likely sell them to the same man (as cold storage eggs) 
in the scarcity of the season. It seems likely that lie 
would be glad to buy my non-fertile storage eggs m 
preference to common run storage. As I have ne\er 
looked into this line, suppose that there will be some 
“red tape” necessary, both from my State of I ennsyl- 
vania and from your State of New York. l~ 
Pennsylvania. 
O doubt someone will hold part or all of these 
Spring-laid eggs in storage—either you or the 
dealer. Whoever does it will take something of a 
gamble. In some cases a fair profit is made by hold¬ 
ing ; in others the holder barely gets the cost of stor¬ 
age back. There is no sure thing about it, as some 
“authorities” would like to have us believe. We ad¬ 
vise you to get as fair an average as possible of the 
prices you have received in Spring when the supply 
is heavy. Have it cover markets for as many years 
as possible. Then get the average of good storage 
eggs in Fall, covering several seasons. That will 
give you the average margin between what you get 
when you throw the eggs on a glutted market and 
what you will be likely to get if you hold them. 
Then figure the exact cost of storing eggs, making a 
liberal estimate for labor, loss of capital and prob¬ 
able spoilage. Compare the two and you will have 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
a reasonable idea of how the deal will leave you. 
We think the plan is worth trying, though no one 
can tell how it will turn out. Of course the chances _ 
for profit on a small lot are less than for a good- 
sized supply. 
Comparing Orcharding with Truck 
Growing 
I am 20 years old, and am a linotype operator, but 
I don’t like indoor work. Father is 55 and ought to 
stay home soon. I am very much interested in truck¬ 
farming or orchard work. _ Which should I take up? 
I think an apple orchard is a more certain crop,^ and 
would allow more time to a study of details. Which 
do you think there is a better future in? Which re¬ 
quires capital? H - B - 
O one can give a definite answer without know¬ 
ing more about the man who is to be behind 
the job. Which line of work will be more interest¬ 
ing to you? Any man will do best at something 
The car and the truck have chased the horses away 
from many a farm, and it has had an effect upon the 
children which we ought to consider. No child can 
ever have the affection for a new car which he would 
feel for the old family horse. Too many children are 
growing up with something lacking in their character 
which old Dobbin or Jack could have given them. The 
picture shows such a family combination on the farm 
of Cyrus W. Woeffers of New Hampshire. He calls it 
“Clifford and Betty discussing the Spring work.” 
which he likes to do. Success is hardly possible un¬ 
less a man’s heart can be in his work. Truck grow¬ 
ing and orcharding are very different propositions. 
The truck grower works with annual crops and his 
plan must be renewed each year. The orchard man 
deals in futures. He cannot expect immediate in¬ 
come from his trees. He must wait until they come 
in bearing, and that is often disappointing. Then 
the truck grower gets an income on his crops at 
once, while the fruit giwer must wait for his or¬ 
chard to bear and depend on side crops to carry him 
along. As a rule the truck-growing farm requires 
most capital and demands extra labor. For our 
own part we prefer orcharding, yet we have friends 
who say they do not want a tree on the place. It is 
therefore a matter of personality and adaptability. 
For a young man with limited capital we should ad¬ 
vise orcharding. A man can make a start with trees 
even when he has but little money. He should com¬ 
bine other things with apples or peaches while the 
trees are young. A good breed of poultry kept with¬ 
out extra labor, and such crops as strawberries or 
bush fruits can be used while the trees are growing. 
This Woman Wants Consolidated 
Schools 
HAVE seen much about the rural school problem 
and bill in The R. N.-Y. May I take just a small 
part in the discussion of this momentous question? 
I am a mother, not only living in the country now, 
but have always lived in rural districts. My boy 
started in school in the city of Middletown, Orange 
O when he was six years old, and passed first and 
second grades there. Then my husband, who had 
always lived back in the country, could not seem to 
satisfy himself with good wages and a comfortable 
place in the city, so he began a pilgrimage from one 
place to another, working by the month for first one 
. January 5, 1924 
farmer, then another, not caring where our boy 
landed in school if only he could follow a plow or 
domesticate himself in the barn somewhere. 
My ambition was, no matter what occupation my 
boy may choose later, to fit him for a man’s job, not 
by mere development of animal strength, which most 
farm men are blessed with, but to train intellect 
and heart. Our day demands that the man who 
wishes to succed must be educated. A little half- 
paid, untried young girl, who ought to be still in 
school herself, who sits and does fancy work part 
of the time, and other like occupations, when she 
ought to be teaching, and who leaves the children to 
their own devices during recesses, is not the kind of 
a helper I appreciate to train my coming man for 
his rightful place in this world. I absolutely refuse 
to live in a country place unless there is a consol¬ 
idated school nearby, that my child may have the 
benefit of a graded school system and be prepared 
to take his place in high school later on. I craved 
those privileges myself in my isolated girlhood, and 
my boy is going to have a fairer show than I did. 
So, in my case, and I hope that lots of other mothers 
will say the same, it is either a consolidated village 
school for my boy, or my husband gives up farming 
and we 'go where the boy has a chance. He is 12 
years old and in the sixth grade. The only reason 
he isn't in the eighth is because his father was de¬ 
termined to live by a little rural school part of two 
terms, and both times he was kept back one grade. 
I find he does far better in our fine consolidated 
school. I think you are a fair-minded person and 
will print both pro and con of all subjects, so I trust 
you will give me some space in The R. N. Y. 
m. J. A. 
Montgomery County and the School Bill 
O N December 21 a meeting was held at the old 
Court House at Fonda, N. Y., which will long 
be remembered. Nothing like it was ever before 
held in the county. There were more than 300 peo¬ 
ple present. They came from all parts of the county 
.—all of them volunteers, without previous organiza¬ 
tion, and no official backing from farm societies. 
C. S. Van Horne was elected chairman, and Robert 
M. Hartley, secretary. Mr. Hutchinson, the intro¬ 
ducer of the school bill, was present to explain and 
support his measure. He and one farmer were the 
only people out of 300 to support it. A committee of 
five was appointed to attend any State conference 
which may be held to prepare a substitute bill. 
Resolutions were adopted as follows: 
Whereas, The rural people of Montgomery County 
have carefully studied the vital features incorporated 
in the proposed rural school law known as the Down- 
ing-IIutchinson Bill; and 
Whereas, The bill is essentially a compulsory con¬ 
solidation measure, and is designed to abolish the pres¬ 
ent district system by providing that our district schools 
no longer shall exist as units of administration; and 
Whereas, The tax burden which would result from 
the operation of the proposed system would be greater 
than our rural people could bear; therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the rural people of Montgomery 
County strongly condemn the 4 Downing-Hutchinson 
Bill and urgently request that our State Senator, Hon. 
Allen J. Bloomfield, and our Member of Assembly, Hon. 
Samuel W. McCleary, do all in their power to defeat 
this measure. 
Passed with but one dissenting vote; 300 present. 
Resolution as to substitute bill: 
Whereas, The rural people of Montgomery County 
believe in a regeneration of our rural schools through 
evolution instead of by revolution as proposed in the 
Downing-Hutchinson Bill; therefore, be it 
Resolved, That we favor the following changes in 
our present rural school law: 
1. The State shall maintain a rural teachers’ train¬ 
ing class in every important supervisory district with 
a grade of instructors, sufficient to permit credit for at 
least one year’s work at a State normal school. 
(a) State aid shall be allowed toward the prepara¬ 
tion of country girls who desire to teach in rural 
schools. 
2. The State normal school shall provide suitable 
courses for the preparation of teachers for rural schools. 
3. The State shall give rural school districts a square 
deal in the distribution of public money. 
(a) The public money alloted as teachers’ quota 
shall be the same or more for a qualified teacher in the 
country as for the same teacher who gives instruction 
in grade work in the neighboring city. 
4. The State shall approximately equalize the tax 
rate through the distribution of public money provided 
for that purpose. 
5. The State shall pay the high school tuition of 
rural pupils and shall co-operate with districts in pay¬ 
ment of a subsidy in lieu of transportation where quali¬ 
fied country students are so situated that it would be 
impracticable for them to get back and forth. 
6. Consolidation shall be optional with the school 
district. . . 
T. Where districts wish consolidation the State 
shall lend encouragement and co-operate in every rea¬ 
sonable way. 
8. Courses of study shall be adapted to the particular 
agricultural environment; i.e., special attention shall 
be given to the teaching of forestry on the hills of New 
York State. 
9. The Department of Education shall not retain its 
power to stipulate minimum expenditures. The school 
patrons concerned shall _ be permitted to employ eco¬ 
nomical methods in providing required facilities, build¬ 
ing schoolhouses, etc. 
Passed with but one dissenting vote; 300 present. 
