80 : Drrecror’s Report oF THE 
It is fair to remark, also, that if a careful record were kept of 
the labor expended in growing other crops, long established, the 
relation of cost to production might in many cases appear to be 
unfavorable to profit. We are applying to the sugar beet crop a 
record and analysis of cost in a way not generally attempted with 
general farm crops, which is somewhat unfair in an effort to judge 
of relative profits. | 
It is somewhat doubtful whether widespread experiments on 
limited areas, such as have been conducted for two years, can be 
continued profitably. Such experiments will hardly furnish 
reliable evidence concerning anything more than the quantity and 
quality of beets produced, and with regard to these two points we 
are now warranted in reaching conclusions. The work of the 
experiment station in the future should be confined to a study of 
certain problems of production as affecting quality and yield. 
For instance, we have been taught that farm manures should - 
not be applied to land in the spring prior to growing a crop of 
sugar beets, and that the use of large quantities of nitrogenous 
fertilizers is antagonistic to high quality. 
Experiments on the Station farm and on that of Mr. Dawley 
do not support these conclusions. On the Station farm, beets 
grown on land to which was applied in the spring 10 cords per 
acre of barn manure were as a whole richer than those with or 
without commercial fertilizers, were healthier and in appearance 
were a more satisfactory crop. Large additions of nitrogen as 
nitrate of soda and dried blood did not appear to depress the pro- 
portion of sugar. ‘These observations should be continued in 
order to establish the facts, and other problems of equal interest 
wait for solution. . 
The difficult questions which confront the beet sugar industry ~ 
in this country are now those of a commercial character which 
relate to production and manufacture. ‘T’o be sure farmers need 
to be educated in methods, but nothing will accomplish this so 
effectually as actual experience in growing beets in a commercial 
