THE POTATO 421 



Closer planting would also increase yields, as 

 would larger seed and the starting of seed, as in the 

 British Isles. 



The quality of the tule land potatoes could also 

 be bettered by more perfect control of the water 

 table. 



The potato crop in San Joaquin County (on 

 which Stockton is located) was valued at $2,145,000 

 in 1910. 



A good deal has been written about a Japanese 

 potato king, Shima, but at Stockton Sing Kee, a 

 Chinaman, is accorded that honor. He grows 

 from 3,000 to 4,000 acres of potatoes every year. 



In the following by Forrest Crissey, in the 

 Saturday Evening Post, a description of his methods 

 is given: 



"And speaking of potatoes — there is Sing Kee, 

 the real potato king of the Stockton District. His 

 bona-fide Chinese name is Chin Lung, but he is Sing 

 Kee to his American friends. It is passing strange 

 that the publicity men of the railroads and big land 

 companies, who are so eager to prove that the city 

 business farmer is a success when transplanted 

 from the pavement to the soil, should have over- 

 looked Sing Kee, of San Francisco Chinatown. 

 This remarkable Mongolian first slapped his san- 

 dals on the pavements of San Francisco about 

 thirty years ago. He slipped quietly into the 

 ranks of the loose-frocked toilers and plodded along 

 for several noiseless years. Then there was a store- 

 opening in Chinatown in which Sing Kee was the 

 central figure. He had saved until he was able 

 to promote himself into the merchant class. 



"Sing Kee drove a good trade with his coun- 

 trv^men and built up a respectable following among 



