A STUDY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING THE YIELD OF POTATOES 1153 



Land values are higher on Long Island than in the other potato sections, 

 partly because much of the land in Nassau County is held for real-estate 

 purposes and partly because of its geographical advantages and adapt- 

 ability for potato production. The values range from $100 an acre in 

 Suffolk County, to $1000 an acre, real-estate value, in Nassau County. 



The average size of the farms surveyed was 65 acres, of which 37 per cent- 

 was in potatoes. On the average, 44 per cent of the total crop acreage 

 was in potatoes, while the average potato acreage per farm was 24.8. 

 The potato crop is relatively more important in the farming system here 

 than elsewhere among the regions surveyed. 



The number of records taken on Long Island was 330, representing a 

 total of 8188.16 acres planted to potatoes in 1912. The average yield 

 per acre, on the farms surveyed, was 175.5 bushels. 



STEUBEN COUNTY 



The area of most intensive production in Steuben County lies in its 

 northeastern part, along the Cohocton River valley and in the hill sections 

 on each side. The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western and the Erie Rail- 

 road handle the potato shipments. Local buyers take most of the crop 

 from the grower, buying it either, at harvest time or on contract. They 

 store it in temporary warehouses along the railroads or ship it direct. 

 Because of the unevenness of topography and the heavy nature of the 

 soil in this county, the highways are often so poor that the movement of 

 the crop from field or cellar to the shipping point is seriously handicapped. 

 For this reason, most of the crop is moved at the times when the 

 roads are in the best condition. Much of it is shipped to New York 

 and Philadelphia, but the variety Spalding's Rose 4 is sent to Florida 

 as seed. 



The elevation of the surveyed fields ranged from 1200 to 2100 feet, the 

 average being v !659.2 feet. This wide range in elevation has considerable 

 influence on the development of the potato crop, as is indicated by this 

 study. A large part of the total crop is produced on hillsides of varying 

 slope, the incline often being so steep as to limit the use of heavy machinery; 

 on the other hand, many of the best potato fields are found on the level 

 table-lands at the highest elevations. 



Northern Steuben County has an average growing-season rainfall of 

 from 16 to 18 inches, which is sufficient for maximum crops. Because of 

 the heavy nature of the soil, years of abnormally large rainfall often cause 

 much loss from blight rot. The growing season between killing frosts 

 averages 150 days, and is usually sufficient to mature the crop. Because 

 of better air drainage and cooler average temperatures, the crop is often 

 later and the yields are larger on the farms at the higher elevations. This 

 was not the case in 1912, however, as is shown later in the discussion of the 

 influence of elevation. 



