DirrSTON OF EORTICULTURE 



783 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Cost of Producing an Acre of Potatoes. 



Below will be found the cost of producing an acre of potatoes in 1915 : — 



Rent of land at $3 per anre i 3 00 



Use of implemonts at t"0 cents an acre 60 



- Cost of one-third of an application of 24 tons manure per acre, at $1 



per ton 8 00 



First autumn ploughing, 2 horses at 34 cents, 10 hours 3 40 



Pise harrowing in autumn, 2 horses, 10 hours at 34 cents 3 40 



Ploughing in spring, 2 horses, 10 hours at 34 cents 3 40 



Disc harrowing, 2 horses, 5 hours at 34 cents 1 70 



Harrowing with smoothing harrow, 2 horses, 2 hours at 34 cents. . 68 



Drilling, 2 horses, 5 hours at 34 cents 1 70 



Planting, hand work, 45 hours at 17 cents 7 65 



First harrowing, 2 horses, 2 hours at 34 cents 68 



Second harrowing, 2 horses, 2 hours at 34 cents 68 



Hoeing and weeding, 1 horse, 10 hours at 27 cents 2 70 



First spraying, 10 ounces of Paris green, 2 pounds arsenate of lead in 



40 gallons water 95 



Spraying hand work, 5 hours at 17 cents 85 



Transporting the insecticide, 2 horses, 3 hours, at 34 cents 1 02 



Hoeing and cultivating the soil, 1 horse, 10 hours at 27 cents 2 70 



Second spraying, 6 pounds lime, 6 pounds sulphate of copper, 12 ounces 



Paris green, 40 gallons water 1 35 



Transporting the spray mixture, 2 horses, 3 hours at 34 cents 1 02 



Hand work, 5 hours at 17 cents 85 



Hoeing, 1 horse, 10 hours at 27 cents 2 70 



Third spraying, insecticide and Bordeaux mixture 1 35 



Transporting the spray mixture, 2 horses, 3 hours at 34 cents 1 02 



Hand work, 5 hours at 17 cents 85 



Digging, 2 horses, 10 hours at 34 cents 3 40 



Hand work, 80 hours at 17 cents 13 60 



Picking and storing, 40 hours at 17 cents 6 80 



Cartage, 2 horses. 5 hours at 34 conta 1 70 



Hand work, 10 hours at 17 cents 1 70 



Total cost $79 45 



Total yield per acre bushels. 301 



Cost per .bushel to grow cents. 26 -39 



The soil was sandy and gravelly, rather poor but well suited to the production 

 of potatoes. The subsoil was made up of coarse gravel very permeable to water and to 

 air allowing the water to pass down very rapidly. The month of June and the 

 niontli of July having been very dry, the potatoes were late in starting growth, but 

 had favourable conditions at the end of July and in August. 



With three sprayings the insects were controlled perfectly and the crop did not 

 suffer at all from them. Our tools for the culture of potatoes were not the best 

 adapted for economical production on a large scale, but compared favourably with those 

 used by the majority of the potato growers of the region. There is no doubt but that 

 with tools more suitable for growing potatoes in quantity the cost could be reduced 

 about 25 per cent. It is proper to note that the season of 1915 was the most unfavour- 

 able for potatoes for the last five years. 



BULBS. 



Visitors paid much attention to the bulbs in 1915. The early varieties of tulips 

 Joost van Vondel, Pottebakker, Cottage Maid, La Eeine and Artus were in flower on 

 May 22. Some thousands of flowers of varied colours could be seen during the first 

 days of June. Four thousand five hundred additional bulbs were planted during the 

 first days of November. In September, all the bulbs which had bloomed the previous 

 spring were lifted from the ground. Before re-planting, the small bulbs were sep- 

 arated from the large ones and planted in a nursery. 



Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere. 



