ON AGRICULTURE TO IRELAND 



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Sligo and Cork were somewhat later, although Cork has been earliest 

 in recent seasons, but they were all harvested before the end of June. 

 The experiments were so successful, that they have been since 

 repeated at the places mentioned, though extension has stopped in 

 Kerry because of the difficulty of transit which is just as important 

 in early potato growing as soil and climate. Experiments have also 

 been carried out at other places in Ireland, and the trade is now 

 beyond the experimental stage. 



It is not every place that will grow early potatoes, but where soil 

 and climate are suitable — and both are suitable in many places — 

 and where railway facilities are available, the addition of this minor 

 industry to the ordinary agriculture of the farm will make the once 

 bankrupt holding of less than thirty acres an economic holding with 

 a fair margin of profit. The following figures go far to bear thia 

 out. At Clonakilty, in 1905, one grower, said to be representative 

 of the growers generally, had under potatoes, 1 acre 3 roods. In 

 the first week of June he lifted 8 tons, 10 cwts., which were sold at 

 prices ranging from £10 to £12 per ton. The nett amount received 

 for the whole crop was £71, 2s. 6d., or fully £40 per acre. At 

 Youghal, a grower had 2 roods, 1 pole, planted, which produced 

 2 tons, 9 cwts., 2 qrs. The crop was lifted in the second week of 

 June and realised £18, 15s. 6d. The Munster Institute in 

 the third week of June, from 1 acre, harvested 8 tons, which they 

 sold at £7 per ton in Manchester. The nett return was about £45 

 per acre. In the Kilkeel district. County Down, a number of growers 

 had each a quarter of an acre under cultivation. The crops, other 

 than those sold locally, were harvested from the 21st to the end of 

 June, and they realised from £31, 12s., to £45, 10s., per acre nett. 

 The Sligo experiments were not less successful. The largest grower 

 in the Sligo district is Sir Josslyn Gore-Booth, whose estate we had 

 an opportunity of visiting. In 1905 he had sixteen acres planted 

 with early potatoes. He grew them on three different kinds of soil. 

 On the farm he had a light, sandy soil ; his garden was a rich loam, 

 and his nursery a stifE clay. The average yield per acre on the light 

 soil was 6 tons, 2 cwts., 1 qr. ; on the rich loam, 6 tons, 7 cwts. ; 

 and on the clay, 7 tons, 5 cwts. The earliest crops were on the sand 

 and the latest on the clay, but the difference in earliness was not so 

 great as one would have expected, due to the fact that the weather 

 conditions were most unfavourable for the crops grown on the sand. 

 The following figures show the total results of the potatoes dug and 

 sold up to 22nd July 1905 :— 



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