478 THE POTATO 



price received is from $20 to $100 per ton. The 

 market is very changeable, often varying as much 

 as $20 a ton in a day, according to the suppHes in 

 the London market. They get an average yield 

 on the island of 425 bushels to the acre, but many 

 of these potatoes are sold when only partly grown. 

 A maximum yield of 750 bushels to the acre is 

 considered about the limit for matured potatoes 

 per acre. 



They plant very closely. The rows are six- 

 teen inches apart, the hills twelve inches apart 

 in the row. The potatoes are ridged with hand 

 plows. It is necessary to use hand power in 

 cultivation because the potatoes are planted 

 so close together. They can grow a large num- 

 ber of hills per acre, on account of the great 

 amount of concentrated fertiUzer apphed to the 

 land. 



Only one variety of potato is grown. This is 

 known as the Royal Jersey. It is kidney-shaped 

 and is the smoothest potato I have ever seen. No 

 one seems to know the origin of it, but it is thought 

 that it comes from seed stocks shipped in years ago. 

 It surely would be an acquisition to have a ship- 

 ment of these potatoes come to the United States, 

 to have them experimented with in the early po- 

 tato districts. The variety does not seem to be 

 grown any place except on this island. 



This calls to mind the wart, or black scab, dis- 

 ease of potatoes. These shrewd islanders are a 

 very careful, exacting class of people in all of their 

 affairs. For a great many years they have not 

 allowed the importation of any livestock, not even 

 for slaughtering on the day of arrival. For this 

 reason infectious or contagious diseases of cattle 

 have never been known on the island. On first 



