1921.] 



Cost of Harvesting Potatoes. 



435 



These factors operate in the same direction so far as the potato 

 farmer on heavy soils is concerned. 



In each case, the cost of the disposal of the crop, either by 

 clamping, or bagging and conveying to the nearest railway 

 station, or dispatch to the nearest railway station foi" conveyance 

 in bulk (i.e., unbagged), was taken into coiisideratiou in obtain- 

 ing; the cost of harvesting the crop. 



Value of Spraying. — The Questionnaire aslced growers to 

 state whether the crop had been sprayed or not. In 13 cases 

 the crops were reported to have been sprayed, whereas iji 27 cases 

 no spray had been used. The average crop on the sprayed area 

 was approximately 10 tons per acre ; w^hile that on the unsprayed 

 area was a little over 8 tons per acre. The heaviest crop on a 

 sprayed area was 15 tons per acre in Bedfordshire. The area 

 was slightly over 18 acres, the varieties being Great Scott, Ally, 

 Lochar. 



The next heaviest sprayed crop was 14 tons per acre over an 

 area of 22 acres in Surrey. The varieties were Arran Chief, 

 Ally and Majestic, the first variety occupying two -thirds of the 

 area. The heaviest unsprayed crop was 12 tons per acre over 

 an area of 17 acres in SuiTey, the varieties grown being Arran 

 Chief and Ally in about equal proportions. 



It is recognised that growers who spray their potatoes may 

 also give more attention to cultivation than do other growers, 

 but this fact does not lessen the value of spraying as a means 

 of securinG^ a larger tonnage per acre. 



