482 



THE POTATO 



serious problem. It must be held over during 

 their warm months of summer and fall, and sprout- 

 ing retarded so as to have the seed in good con- 

 dition for planting the next February. 



Owing to their close planting they require from 

 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of seed to the acre. They 

 never cut seed. 



These potato growers were very much excited 

 on reading the Orchard Heating Bulletin, published 

 by D. E. Burley, general passenger agent of the 

 Oregon Short Line Railroad. This bulletin tells 

 how fruit is saved from frost by the use of 

 heating pots in the orchard. They think frost 

 protection will be very valuable in enabling them 

 to put their potatoes on the city markets of 

 Europe two to four weeks earher than they ever 

 have before. 



I hope to see their great money-making meth- 

 ods for the production of early potatoes adopted 

 in the Sacramento Valley and elsewhere in Cali- 

 fornia. The days of sunshine here are much more 

 favorable for the crop than the chilly winds oflf the 

 sea on the Jersey Islands, where in the month of 

 July I was not uncomfortable with winter clothing, 

 and where I saw many people wearing their coats 

 in the middle of the day. 



The unit of weight which is used in the market- 

 ing of farm crops in Jersey is known as the cabot. 

 This is forty pounds. Their potatoes are mar- 

 keted in willow baskets or small barrels. The 

 potatoes are sold to the dealers in willow baskets. 

 The dealer barrels them. It takes a quarter of a 

 milhon barrels to handle the potatoes of this Uttle 

 island. The barrels are returned from the mar- 

 kets daily. 



There are large numbers of glass houses for grow- 



