THE POTATO 449 



all the eyes of the potato develop sprouts of equal 

 vigor and vitality, but none as strong as the first. 

 When only the first develop, the other eyes of the 

 potato remain dormant. When the potato is cut 

 in sections, one eye to a piece, the seed will go 

 much farther and plant a great many more acres, 

 although the crop will be less in yield and fifteen 

 days later in maturing. 



On these three hundred acres Mr. Wallace pays 

 about $5,100 rent and about $13,000 for labor. 

 On this farm it costs $110 to grow an acre of po- 

 tatoes. The annual revenue is $175 making a 

 profit of $65 per acre. 



As near as I could determine in going with him 

 over the several lots, he had (1910) an average of 

 99.5 per cent, of a full stand. 



He pays $4 to $5 a week and house rent to men 

 with families. Foreman and men handling teams 

 get $5 to $6 a week. 



The potatoes are picked up in small baskets and 

 dumped on a screen, which is placed over the head 

 of a barrel. The dirt and small potatoes go 

 through; the others are put in other barrels. The 

 top is covered with green potato tops and netting. 

 All early potatoes are marketed in barrels, the 

 late or main crop potatoes in sacks. 



GIRVAN, SCOTLAND 



Girvan is a town on the western coast of Scot- 

 land, on the Firth of Clyde. It is the birthplace 

 of Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture of 

 the United States. 



It is the earliest potato-growing district in 

 northern Great Britain. It is on the coast where 

 they have no severe late spring frosts, because of 



