THE POTATO 479 



information of the dread wart disease of potatoes 

 the parliament of the island (which has home rule) 

 quarantined Great Britain against sending any 

 potatoes into the island. They are not even al- 

 lowed to be brought in for table use. This shows 

 how they protect their most important money- 

 making industry. Our national Congress could 

 well pattern after this in the protection of the 

 American farmer and potato grower. 



The revenue derived from potatoes per acre is 

 sometimes quite fabulous when they get an early 

 crop. They are subject to spring frosts in March, 

 which checks the growth as much as three weeks. 

 One farmer told me he lost $8,000 by frost in one 

 morning. The crop often brings as much as 

 $400 and $500 an acre. One grower received 

 $2,090 on one and three fourths acres of the land. 

 This is a remarkable little block of warm, sandy 

 soil, encircled by a stone wall to shelter it from the 

 winds, and sloping to the south at an angle of al- 

 most forty degrees. I think it is the finest piece 

 of land that I have ever seen cropped. He took 

 the chances of planting them very early, used an ex- 

 cessive amount of fertilizer, and well-sprouted 

 seed, planted whole. He harvested and shipped 

 them in one day, when the London market was 

 bare of potatoes. This land will readily rent for 

 $250 an acre, as it is the earliest piece of land on 

 the island. I saw one twelve-acre farm that rents 

 for $140 an acre. In recent years this land, which 

 produces the early crop, has appreciated very 

 much in market value. It is now valued at from 

 $1,000 to $2,500 an acre. I heard of many small 

 tracts that are being rented at from $75 to $175 

 an acre. No wonder that this 19,000 acres of 

 arable land supports a population of 55,000 and 



