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POTATO GROWING. 



The cultivation of the potato as a farm crop in Great Britain 

 exceeds half a million acres yearly, and has done so every year 

 for more than a' quarter of a century. What the area grown in 

 gardens amounts to is difficult to estimate ; but in aggregate it 

 must be many thousand acres. The Agricultural Returns for 

 Ireland show a greater area than for the rest of the kingdom. 

 When much more than a million acres are put under this crop 

 yearly, one cannot but be surprised at the small amount of 

 literature there is on the subject, and how little space is devoted 

 to it in newspapers dealing with croppings. 



No crop occupying as much as 100,000 acres yearly gives so 

 large a return per acre ; at the same time, it is more expensive 

 to produce than is any other crop occupying that area. We do 

 not recommend an extension of the area, because if this were 

 done on a considerable scale a large portion of the crop would 

 not be profitable. A smaller acreage well done would meet the 

 market requirements. There is room, however, for more 

 potatoes of good quality. There can be little doubt but that no 

 small proportion of the potatoes grown fail to give a profit 

 except in seasons when, through various causes, the price is 

 above average. The chance of occasionally making a fortunate 

 hit, although they may lose in other years, induces many 

 who possess little skill to grow potatoes. On the other hand, 

 there are those who, with soil suitable, skill in selecting varieties, 

 and good management, invariably make substantial profits. 

 Among potato growers there are many of the most skilled culti- 

 vators, the shrewdest men of business, with the best advanced 

 views and methods of those connected with British farming. 

 The influence of these has not been without effect, and, un- 

 doubtedly, there is less haphazard growing than prevailed com- 

 paratively few years ago. Their methods of cultivation have 

 been copied ; and they have been pioneers in making the repute 



