10 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 239 



largest growers in Merrimack and Rockingham Counties there is a 

 slight increase in cost per bushel due to lower yields. Twenty 

 bushels increase in yield in this group would have brought the cost 

 to 63 cents per bushel. Unfavorable weather in the southern part 

 of the state in both years of the survey resulted in some very poor 

 yields. 



Land Values 



The estimate of land value very often is not based wholly on 

 productive value. In this study the ability of the land to produce 

 potatoes was the chief measure of values. 



The soils used for potatoes in this state are so variable that 

 value of land has little significance. On the most suitable soils the 

 yields are better and labor and cost per bushel are much less than 

 on the less favorable soils. (See Table IV.) Many of the better 

 potato soils, however, were located on hills at a greater distance 

 from market. Better soil accounts for the somewhat higher yields 

 on the lower valued land. (See Table VI.) Land values, therefore, 

 seem to be a minor factor in potato production costs within the 

 limits of the values of this study, but quality of soil is still im- 

 portant. 



The difference between such extremes as $50 and $150 land 

 seems large, but at 8% the rental cost is $4 in the first case and $12 

 in the second. The $150 value is no real measure of the ability of 

 land to produce potatoes. Its value may be due largely to location. 

 Only IVs cents per bushel on a 300 bushel crop may be charged 

 against $50 land, while the same yield on $150 land costs only four 

 cents per bushel for rent. Many localities in New Hampshire having 

 excellent potato soils have low land values because of relatively poor 

 scenery. 



The distribution of soils adaptable for potato raising and the 

 area suitable for potato production are shown in Table VII. There 

 is still a large area of soil best suited for potatoes on the farms 

 surveyed. This is particularly true in the north. In many cases 

 the potato enterprise appears to be incidental to the dairy business, 

 and, therefore, a larger proportion of the best soils are still avail- 

 able. The potato crop of the state is raised largely on the less fa- 

 vorable soils. 



In Coos County 48 per cent, of the total available suitable soil 

 may be classed as very good, 30 per cent, as good soil, and 20 per 

 cent, as only fair soil. In Rockingham County 15 per cent, of the 

 available area is very good soil, 72 per cent, is good soil, and 12 per 

 cent, is only fair soil. 



The southern counties are more nearly raising potatoes as a 

 main enterprise using only the better soils. This is necessarily 

 true since only on the better soils can the southern counties com- 

 pete with the more favorable regions of the north in respect to 

 yield. 



Coos County is producing potatoes on a smaller proportion of 

 both its suitable potato area and its total tillable area. 



