AEID AGRICULTURE. 



189 



AS AN 



IRRIGATED 



CROP 



VARIETIES 



vated area. The potato is one of the more im- 

 portant and profitable arid region productions. 

 So important has it become under irrigation in 

 certain sections that its culture is being rapidly 

 extended. When grown under irrigation the 

 potato is forced and rapidly deteriorates as seed. 

 On this account there is large demand for potato 

 seed raised by dry farm methods. Seed raised 

 by dry farming, and used under irrigation, 

 seems to do well the first and second years, but 

 old potato growers seldom use the same seed the 

 third year. This is an important item to the 

 dry farmer who has soil and conditions suitable 

 for potato culture. 



Good crops of potatoes are raised on a vari- 

 ety of soils. We believe a light sandy loam is 

 preferable, but where late water can be supplied, 

 good crops are produced on heavier soils. With 

 proper cultivation the yields average from 100 

 to 250 sacks of two bushels each per acre. The 

 cost of producing the crop averages about thirty 

 dollars per acre. 



The main croppers in the mountain region 

 arc the "Ohio" for early crops, the "Mammoth 

 Pearl," and "Rural ISfew Yorker" for late crops. 

 In some sections the "Burbank" does very 

 well. Early varieties are more used for 

 dry farming, but very few early potatoes 

 are grown as main crops by irrigation. 



