Vegetable Growing for Market 133 



5116 ac.; Carnarvon, 3476 ac.; Carmarthen, 3261 ac.; Denbigh, 2538 ac.; 

 Pembroke, 2249 ac.; and Anglesey, 2047 ac. Radnor and Brecon are the 

 two smallest Potato counties, with 670 and 792 ac. respectively. The other 

 counties Flint, Glamorgan, Merioneth, and Montgomery have almost a 

 similar acreage under Potatoes, varying from 1465 ac. in Merioneth to 

 1741 ac. in Flint. 



In Mr. A. W. Sutton's paper on Potatoes in the Royal Horticultural 

 Society's Journal, 1896, vol. xix, it is noted that the 1,232,055 ac. of 

 Potatoes in the United Kingdom in 1894 gave an average yield of 3 tons 

 15 cwt. 2 qr. 20 Ib. per acre a miserably poor return, indicative of either 

 very bad cultural methods or very severe attacks of disease most prob- 

 ably both. The same authority states that in France 3,342,500 ac. are 

 under Potatoes annually, the total yield being 10,100,000 tons, or an 

 average of 3 tons 2 qr. 24 Ib. per acre somewhat worse than that for 

 the United Kingdom. 



According to the Standard Cyclopedia of Modern Agriculture, the 

 Russian Empire takes first place in Potato growing with 10,000,000 ac. 

 As the total crop is 28,000,000 tons, the average works out at less than 

 3 tons to the acre. Germany, with 8,145,000 ac. and a crop of 45,000,000 

 tons, gives an average of 5J tons to the acre. In Austria the average is 

 given as 4 to 5 tons to the acre; while in the United States the average 

 is stated to be only 1 ton to the acre, on the authority of Mr. Eugene H. 

 Grubb, of the United States Department of Agriculture, who visited Eng- 

 land and the Continent in 1910. In 1912 there were 3,689,000 ac. of 

 Potatoes grown in the United States, estimated to yield 398,000,000 bushels. 



If these figures from agricultural statistics are to be relied upon, it 

 simply means that Potato growing for profit is by no means a lucrative 

 business. An average of 3 tons to an acre would spell ruin in a very 

 short time to the open-air grower. It is possible that the figures are 

 inaccurate, and that from 6 to 8 tons per acre is nearer the mark. Indeed, 

 the figures given in the Standard Cyclopedia of Modern Agriculture 

 show an average of over 6 tons to the acre for the United Kingdom for 

 year 1908, Scotland having 7'30 tons to the acre; England, 6'95 tons; 

 Wales, 5*55 tons; and Ireland, 5*45 tons. 



Some counties show much better results. Thus Bedford has an average 

 of 9-58 tons; Ayrshire, 9'29 tons; Lancaster, 8J tons; Perth, Forfar, and 

 Lanark, each over 8 tons. 



Reckoning the value at 3 per ton, the Potato crop of the United 

 Kingdom for 1908 may be valued at 21,351,000 for 7,117,000 tons, taken 

 from 1,149,000 acres. 



Apart from these the Jersey Potato crop, a portion of which is grown 

 under glass, gives an annual yield varying since the year 1883 from 

 36,468 tons up to 77,800 tons. These Potatoes are all early varieties, and 

 are exported between 1 April and the end of July, realizing as much as 

 29 a ton for first supplies, but dropping down to 2, 12s. for the last. 



Potato growing in Jersey being such an important industry, the follow- 



