CHAPTER 14 

 THE POTATO 



BY ALVA AGEE 

 Director, Agricultural Extension, Rutgers College, N. J. 



The potato is one of the world's most important products for human 

 food. The United States have been producing between 350,000,000 and 

 400,000,000 bushels, and Canada between 70,000,000 and 85,000,000 bushels 

 annually. Adaptability to this crop gives high value to land near good 

 markets, and good transportation facilities have made the crop profitable 



THE POTATO CROP. 1 



in sections of the country that must ship their products long distances. 

 The Southern states, growing their crop in the cool months of the spring, 

 supply Northern markets during the summer, and in the fall scores of 

 millions of bushels are sent southward from the Northern states. The crop 

 is important not only for the reason that it produces a large amount of 

 human food per acre, but on account of the reward it offers to the grower's 

 skill. The limit to production per acre is unknown, but it is a conservative 

 statement that the present average yield in this country could be doubled. 



* From Farmers' Bulletin 365, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



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