No. 7. _ DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 381 



potato-growing. In fact, any land which will grow a good crop of 

 potatoes and is under |200.00 an acre in value may be used for that 

 crop, while if the same land should rise in value so that it is worth 

 $300.00 or 1400.00 per acre and the yield should not be increased 

 it is doubtful whether potatoes could be grown at a profit. We 

 have then one other factor to consider and that is the question of 

 yield. Is it adequate to cover the cost of production? How much 

 does it cost to produce an acre of potatoes? After you have paid 

 this item and the rent and the interest on the money have you 

 anything left? If you have not there is no use growing potatoes. 

 In this crop you have to compete with many sections which are partic- 

 ularly adapted to potato-growing. For instance, Northern New 

 York, Maine and parts of New England, so far as the main crop is 

 concerned. 



In regard to early varieties. You are in competition with other 

 states. It is a question for each one to find out whether potato- 

 growing is profitable for themselves. If potato-growing is not in 

 itself profitable then it certainly should not be put in an orchard 

 with the idea of getting a certain sum back to pay the orchard 

 expenses. It is quite possible that you could charge off |8.00 an 

 acre from the working expenses to trees, but I consider it is really 

 unwise to try and grow the potatoes close to the trees. I would 

 certainly leave 4 feet, the next year 6 feet, and later eight feet 

 on each side of the row of trees. If the orchard be planted to 

 fillers there is so little land left that I doubt w^hether it will pay. 

 Orchards are worth so much more than potatoes that I would seri- 

 ously question the advisability of growing some low valued money 

 crop in them. If the money crop grown is highly productive and 

 does not draw too heavily upon the soil I think it would be better. 

 Or, again, it might be better to run the orchards in the extensive 

 fashion, without a crop and concentrate on three or four acres on 

 some other part of the farm and in this way earn sufficient money 

 to carrj^ the orchard. Or, we can look at the matter in another 

 light, and that is, one which I use in almost all other crops, namely, 

 you determine first whether you have or can secure enough money 

 to grow the crop until harvest. If you undertake to grow radishes 

 you may have to wait but six weeks ; if you attempt to grow potatoes 

 you may have to wait four or five months; if you plan to grow 

 apples you have to wait six or seven years. I think it would be 

 better to look at the subject from a business standpoint and try to 

 get enough capital and get some way to carry the crop until it is 

 ready to produce some revenue, and devote all the energy of the 

 land to that crop. I hoped at one time that I could do otherwise, 

 but I have been forced to this position by experience. I realize 

 that my experience may be deci(' aiy different from that of yours 

 in this locality, and therefore, hi sitate to advise you whether you 

 should or should not grow potatoes in a young orchard. In some 

 sections of New York our growers report adversely on growing 

 potatoes, especially in peach orchards. They have had such poor 

 results that they consider that they have lost two or three years 

 growth of the trees, owing (o the influence of the potatoes upon 

 the peach trees; and if a i>otato crop makes $10.00 per acre, net, 

 it is doing well, and in some cases we may get $20.00 or more net; 



