CHAPTER XXXVIII 



THE CHANNEL ISLANDS 



THE first early open field grown potatoes of 

 the season for the London markets are 

 from the Canary Islands, southwest of 

 Spain. The next are from the Jersey Islands and 

 arrive in London in April and May. Early po- 

 tatoes that are marketed previous to that time 

 are grown under glass in the Jersey and Guernsey 

 Islands. 



There are so many factors and features of po- 

 tato work in Jersey that it is really hard to com- 

 prehend the magnitude of the industry. In round 

 figures there are 19,000 acres of this fertile little 

 island, of which about one half is cropped continu- 

 ously in potatoes and has been for a long time, 

 some of it for fifty consecutive years. By the 

 most scientific methods and study they have not 

 only maintained but gradually increased their high 

 yields. All of the potato growers are breeders and 

 growers of Jersey cattle. 



A tenant who farms about sixty acres is the 

 largest operator. He is a breeder of cattle, grows 

 twenty-five acres of potatoes annually, and is the 

 most up-to-date, money-making farmer on the 

 island. He pays a rental of $60 an acre annually. 

 He values his low grazing land, too low for po- 

 tato growing, at $35 an acre a year for pasture. 



The main portion of the crop is planted early in 

 February and harvested in May and June. The 



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