The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-11-11
SUGAR BEET
CULTURE PAYS
IN NO. DAKOTA
Is at Present Time Best Pay
ing Crop on Yellowstone,
Project, Report Says
400 MEXICANS EMPLOYED
(From report Of State Engineer
w, G.. Black)

(From report of State Engineer
W. G. Black)
The best paying crop on the lower
Yellowstone and Williston Irrigation
Projects at the present time is sugar
beets. A market is available at Il
fair price for all the sugar beets
that can be raised on those projects.
However, a change from small
grains where one man can care for a
large acreage to sugar beets where
one man can care for, at most, ten
to twelve acres, means a very great
increase in population or q CORES
ponding increase in hired labor. At
present this labor demand is largely
met by the importation or Mexican
labor from Texas and old Mexico.
The MaXicans are good laborers and
are paid $4,000 per acre for the sea-
son for doing the hand work only
This work consists of blocking and
thinning and hoeing the beets. also
topping and loading after the beets
are lifted. The hand work is need
ed for a period OF seven months but
only siXty-five days of actual labor
is required during this period. The
laborer must find other work during
the season to supplement the con-
tract work on sugar beets. In all,
the return to the laborer is about
$500 per DAY for the actual time
worked.
Over 100 MeXicans were used in
the Lower Yellowstone district last
season. AS it is the intention of the
farmers to double their last wears
crop, which amounted to 3,llO acres,
it will be readily seen that supply
of labor is the most serious prob
lem to be met in any extension OF
irrigated crops in western North Da-
kota and eastern Montana. As the
Mexican is entirely unskilled in Am
erican farming methods and is in
the majority OF cases illiterate, and
generally speaking, is not the best
human material available for citi
zenship, it would appear that any
expenditure by the state to secure
permanent settlers for farming q
small acreage Of sugar beets, to-
gethcr with milking cows and prac.
ticing diversified farming generally
would be we'll repaid in the increas
cd tax returns.
Sugar beet tops make excellent
| feed for dairy cattle. In expert
| ments conducted at Williston dur.
ing the past year it was shown thai
by adding beet tops to the dairy ia
ton the output Of milk was increas
| ed 16 per cent.
The cost of producing an acre o,
! sugar beets under present condition:
as given by several farmers on thes'
projects is about $4,000 per acre. Thu
entire output of the Lower Yellow
stone Project last year was 33,O0'
tons of sugar beets, or a yield O.
I about II tons per acre. In individ
ual cases the yield was over 10 ton
per acre, the larger yield being du'
to a better prepared seed bed ant
better care being given the bects
also, carly planting is Il large fac
tor in increased yields.
The contract price offered by tn
Great Western Sugar Company d
, Billings is $3.50 per ton for the 1872
crop. The freight rate to Billings
from Dorc, the most distant station
is $3.50. of which the purchase
pays Sl.l0 and the grower the re
mainder. The freight rate from
Williston to Billings is $2.55 per ton
In the opinion Of the officials o
the sugar company the prospects o
securing sugar beet mill on tn
Lower Yellowstone Project are excel
lent as soon as the territory j
| proven and large enough acreage
is produced, namely about six thou
sand acres.
Reports from Billings, Montana
! territory state that sixty per cen
of the farmers that are at presen
producing sugar beets came to tn
! district as contract laborcrs am
gradually worked up as renters an
finally as land owners.