THE POTATO 323 



The first railroad to operate a special potato 

 instruction train was the Denver Rio Grande 

 in Colorado. C. H. Schlaacks, now vice-president 

 of the Western Pacific, was vice-president of the 

 Rio Grande at the time of the beginning of this 

 work, and credit is due him for its initiation. He 

 was the first man in America to grasp the great 

 importance of this work. 



The first train consisted of five cars, carrying 

 practical growers as instructors, specimen imple- 

 ments to improve crop production, and approved 

 types of seed. The train travelled over the 

 entire system 1,700 miles. In five years the 

 production of potatoes in this territory was quad- 

 rupled. 



D. E. Burley, general passenger agent of the 

 Oregon Short Line Railroad, Salt Lake City, Utah, 

 was the first man to put up his own money for 

 prizes for the best potatoes grown in his territory. 

 He also ran a special potato train through Utah 

 and Idaho over 3,500 miles of railroad. This gave 

 great aid to potato growers in a big, undeveloped 

 territory. His work in the interests of agriculture 

 in the Northwest is far-reaching in its effect. 



Following are the blanks and other documents 

 used in the Burley contest: 



CONDITIONS OF BURLEY POTATO PRIZE CONTEST 

 YEAR 1910 



1. Entries to be filed on or before May 5, 1910. 



2. No more than one crop of one variety of potato must be 



grown on one acre (43,560 feet), and in case grower 

 enters more than one acre, separate blanks must be 

 filled out for each additional acre. 



3. The hills or rows must be at least twelve inches from the 



boundary lines of the acre. 



