148 



THE POTATO 



To this should be added interest on the money 

 invested in the land which would vary with the 

 price of land, and also taxes on the land; these two 

 items will probably average $10. 



The profits will range from $20 in the poorer 

 potato sections to $125 per acre in good potato 

 districts. Mr. Harper reports a net profit of the 

 latter sum from his potatoes in 1910. 



The cost of producing the acre of potatoes that 

 won the first prize in 1910 Burley Contest (prize 

 of $500 cash given by D. E. Burley, General 

 Passenger Agent, Oregon Short Line Railroad, for 

 best measured acre in territory tributary to that 

 railroad) is estimated by L. A. and W. L. Snyder, 

 Twin Falls, Idaho, the growers, as follows: 



No. of 

 horses used 



No. of 

 men 



No. of 

 days 



Plowing alfalfa to kill the plants 

 (crowning or plowing three 



inches deep with sharp plow). . . 3 



Disking in spring 3 



Harrowing 2 



Corrugating 2 



Irrigating before plowing 



Plowing 4 



Planking 2 



Cultivating first time 2 



Cultivating second time 2 



Hilling first time 1 



Hilling second time 1 



Irrigating 



Digging 3 



Planting 2 



i 



i 

 i 

 i 

 i 

 1 



i 

 i 



This makes a total of 18 horse days — or about 

 18 horses working 1 day; and about 12 man days. 

 Estimating the horse time at $1 a day and the 

 man time at $2 a day, the labor bill is: 



