LECTURES AND ESSAYS READ AT INSTITUTES. 231 



No more important event has ever taken place between the old and nevr 

 world than the introduction of potatoes into the old world. . It has been the 

 means of preventing the once frequent occurrence of famine. So general had 

 its cultivation become, and so dependent were the people upon its resources, 

 that a terrible famine resulted in Ireland from the failure of the potato crop 

 in 1846 and 1847. 



The art of cultivating potatoes is so variable, diifering with varieties, localities,. 

 and in different soils, that it would be impossible to give anything like a general 

 rule for procedure. My experience in potato culture is very limited. It has been 

 confined mostly to one variety and nearly one mode of cultivation. I have not 

 followed raising potatoes on account of any secret that I might have in the 

 matter, nor on account of large yields, for such are not the facts. It has 

 been owing altogether to good prices, accompanied by moderate yields, which 

 returned me more money four-fold than I have been able to make with any 

 other crop. 



I frequently hear it remarked by farmers who make "wheat their msim 

 dependence "There is more money in a potato crop at twenty-five cents per 

 bushel than there is in the best wheat crop," and yet when they plant potatoes 

 they act as though they were afraid they might raise enough for themselves to 

 eat. They plant a row or two around the corn for the horse to destroy in 

 turning around, or a few in one corner of the corn field, forgetting the faci 

 that there is more money in one good acre of potatoes than in three or four of 

 corn. In order to make my assertions good and to show that they will stand 

 the test I will make a few comparisons by comparing the wheat and potato- 

 crops for the last ten years preceding 1880. 



Wheat, I think, is the staple crop among our farmers. Therefore by com- 

 paring the prices per bushel and yields per acre of the potato and wheat crops 

 we can readily see if there is any money in raising potatoes. The lowest aver- 

 age price per bushel for potatoes for any one year during the ten years preced- 

 ing 1880 was 39 cents, which was in 1875, with an average yield of 110.5 

 bushels per acre, making the average value per acre $43.10. The lowest aver- 

 age price per bushel for wheat for any one year during the same time was $0.&44^ 

 which was in 1874, with an average yield of 13.3 bushels per acre, making the 

 average value per acre $11.61. By comparing these values per acre we find a. 

 balance in favor of the potato crop of $31.49. The highest average price per 

 bushel for potatoes for the same time in any one year was $0.72, which was iw 

 1870, with an average yield of 8^.6 bushels per acre, making the average value 

 per acre $62.35. The highest average price per bushel for wheat for any one 

 year within the same time was $1,258, which was in 1871, with an average' 

 yield of 11.5 bushels per acre, making the average value per acre $14.47,. 

 showing a balance in favor of the potato crop of $47.88. The average price- 

 per bushel for potatoes for the ten years taken together was $0,582, with aa 

 average yield per acre of 87.8 bushels, making the average value per acre 

 $51.10. For wheat the average price per bushel for the ten years taken 

 together was $1.06, with an average yield per acre of 12.28 bushels, making 

 the average value per acre $13.02. By comparing these figures we have a 

 balance in favor of the potato crop of $38.08 per acre, or for the ten years- 

 taken together we have $380.80, which is a pretty respectable margin in favor 

 of the potato crop upon one acre of ground, provided we allow the same expenses 

 for each crop. 



By comparing the amounts of the different potato crops and their prices 

 with the population for the same time, I find the supply varies from 2 1-4 to 



