TRUCKING. 419 



FERTILIZERS AND MANURES. 



There is a diversity of opinion both as to methods and 



amount of fertilizers to use for potato soils. This is often due 



to a wide variation in the soils, climate, moisture, seed and fer- 

 tilizers. A few important points will serve to illustrate : . 



1. Fertilizers are of little value for a dry season. 



2. Fertilizers will not give satisfactory returns in a soil depleted of 

 organic matter. 



3. Poor soil packs easily and is not friable and therefore is rendered 

 undesirable for potatoes. 



4. When soils contain the necessary elements, fertilizers will not pro- 

 duce appreciable results. 



5. Chemical analysis will not show the real requirements of the soil. 



6. A carefully conducted experiment will give some valuable informa- 

 tion. 



THE COST OF PRODUCTION. 



Plowing 1 acre $ 2 00 



Disking and Harrowing 1 acre 1 00 



Preparing Seed 1 acre 1 00 



Planting Potatoes 1 acre 1 50 



Cost of Seed (15 bus.) 1 acre. .'.... 15 00 



Cost of Spraying (4 times) . ...1 acre 5 00 



Cost of 4 Cultivations and Hoeing 1 acre 2 50 



Cost of Fertilizer 800 pounds 1 acre . . 10 80 



Cost of Digging 1 acre 10 00 



Interest on Money Invested in Land 1 acre 10 00 



Total Cost per acre $58 80 



THE PROFIT. 



If an acre of potatoes at a total cost of $58.80 for production, 

 yielded 200 bushels of marketable potatoes @ 6oc per bushel ; 

 what is the net profit per acre? 



Big Profits in Little Things. 



A carload of tomatoes contains about 700 four-basket crates 

 of 25 pounds each, and brings an average of about forty cents 

 a crate net to the grower. The average planting each year in Cal- 

 ifornia for eastern shipment is about 2000 acres. The average 



