W. E. BEAR. Agriculture of Jersey. (The Standard Cyclopedia 

 of Modern Agriculture, edited by P. Wright, Vol. VII, Gresham Publ. 

 Co., London, p. 188, 1910). 



"Although the total area of Jersey is only 27 717 ac. (equivalent 

 to n 197 hectares) including water, or less than one-third of that 

 of the smallest English county other than London, and its cultivated 

 area is but little over 19000 ac. (hectares 7676), the agriculture of 

 the island is of considerable importance. Favoured by a beneficial 

 climate, an aspect gently sloping from north to south, and a soil 

 which, if not strikingly fertile naturally, is admirably suited to til- 

 lage and responsive to applications of manure, Jersey is an ideal 

 spot for small holders. The agricultural prosperity of the island 

 however is largely due to the great industry and enterprise of its 

 cultivators, who have not failed to put its natural advantages to the 

 utmost use. 



The prosperity of Jersey is mainly dependent upon potatoes 

 and dairy cattle, though in recent years the tomato crop, grown 

 largely in the open, as well as in glasshouses, has grown into con- 

 siderable importance. In 1907, out of a total cultivated area of 

 19171 ac. 16010 ac. were arable, and of this quantity 8577 ac. 

 were under potatoes as a first crop, roots mainly being grown after 

 them in the same season, except when the land is to have a rest 

 from potatoes, in which case seeds are sown. The importance 

 of forage crops for live stock, and mainly for cattle, in addition 

 to those grown after potatoes, is shown by the growing of clovers 

 and grasses under rotation on 4601 ac. while a small acreage of 

 roots and cabbages was grown apart from potato land, and 3161 ac. 

 were permanent pasture. The total area under corn crops was 

 only 1931 ac., about half being devoted to oats for the farm horses 

 and other stock. 



The farms are small, only six being of 50 ac. or more, while 

 the great majority are under 15 ac. In 1907 there were 620 hold- 

 ings over i ac. and not over 5 ac. out of a total of 1886 holdings, 

 not including plots of land under T ac. 



... In the season of 1908 the shipments of potatoes from Jersey 

 from the first week in April till the last in July, when the exports 

 ceased, amounted to 53 100 tons, the returns for which on the quay 

 at St Helier were 356 305. If the area of crop was about the same 

 as that of 1907, the average yield was over 6 tons, and the average 

 return was over 40 per acre, not including potatoes saved for seed 



