APPENDIX. 



231 



obtaining, be it ever so small, quantities of potatoes a few 

 days in advance, either by special care taken to plant them 

 out as soon as possible, protecting them from the cold winds, 

 or by choosing tiny pieces of land naturally protected or 

 better exposed. The difference in price between the earliest 

 and the later potatoes being immense, the greatest efforts 

 are made to obtain an early crop, and it would seem that 

 the potatoes begin to be grown earlier and earlier, so that 

 three or perhaps even four weeks have been won within the 

 last ten years. 



The following table shows when the exporting season 

 began and what prices were realised per cabot ( = -j^ of a 

 ton) on the very first day of export : 



1883, May 22 



1884, ,,6 



1885, ,,19 



1886, June 2 



1887, May 24 8 



1888, ,,29 



1889, ,,14 



1890, ,,6 



1891, i 



1892, ,,17 



1893, April 24 8 



1894, ,,26 



The decline of prices per ton is best seen from the fol- 

 lowing : 



