58 



from the land for a period of years are the only practicable remedies against 

 the disease. 



Scab also causes considerable loss in the field as well as after digging. This 

 disease may be held in check by planting disease-free tubers and by practicing 

 a long rotation, which prevents the disease from thriving in the soil. 



In this region the land is generally plowed in the fall or winter and again 

 at planting time. Planting begins in March and continues into June and 

 sometimes into July, though this is well known to be too late for good results. 

 As a general rule the planting is accomplished by hand, dropping the seed pieces 

 behind the plow every second or third round. As this is very strong land 

 the potato crop is often affected by weeds, and much of the labor of growing 

 the crop is expended in their destruction. 



The yields in this section vary greatly. The. factors which influence the 

 yield are diseases, lack of storage facilities for seed and the culture methods, 

 especially the preparation of the land and the rotation of crops. Because of 

 these factors the yield varies from 65 to 750 bushels per acre. 



There is a tendency to grow potatoes continuously for as long a period as 

 possible, for this crop pays better returns when not affected than most other 

 crops. It has not been found possible to do this, however, without incurring 

 greatly diminished yields. Consequently, successful potato growing in this 

 region is contingent upon adopting culture methods, especially in respect to 

 rotation crops that will keep the soil bare from the disease. 



Much of this land is held by companies or by single owners in large tracts. 

 It is usually rented to Japanese or Chinese tenants at from $20 to $35 an acre, 

 or when on shares, for one-third of the crop. The cash rental of land for 

 potatoes, however, is the more usual method. Where labor is hired it is 

 generally Japanese or Chinese and wages commonly paid are $2 to $2.50 per 

 day. The intrinsic value of these lands depends upon the prevalence of disease 

 in the soil and the equipment of the farmer for using other crops profitably in 

 rotation. But little of this land is for sale, but that which is for sale is 

 held at from $300 to $500 per acre. 



A good deal of land in this section still remains to be reclaimed, but it can 

 only be done at considerable expense and by companies or individuals not 

 demanding immediate returns on the money invested. 



Salinas Valley. The conditions under which potatoes are grown in this 

 region are typical of other portions of the state. They differ, however, from 

 those in the delta region, principally in respect to the nature of the soil and 

 lesser prevalence of disease. The soil on the other hand is not so productive. 

 The yields vary from 60 to 200 bushels per acre. The average is about 100 

 bushels, but on reasonably good land and by practicing good cultural methods, 

 about 150 bushels may be counted upon. In this section much of the potato land 

 is rotated with sugar beets. The deep rooted nature of both of these crops and 

 the tillage methods keep the land in good tilth and in good producing capacity. 



In both of the sections mentioned potatoes are harvested both by hand and 

 by machine diggers and are marketed in sacks weighing about 110 pounds, the 

 price ranges from 90 cents to $1.65 per sack (50 cents to 90 cents per bushel). 



In any section of California the successful production of potatoes depends 

 most largely upon the prevalence of a deep loam soil well supplied with 

 moisture and free from disease infestation. The interior valleys where the 

 temperature during the growing season is excessively hot must be avoided, for 

 the potato thrives best in a cool soil. 



