6 BULLETIN 695, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Pacific States the increase during the same period — been from 2 
to 10.1 per cent. 
In 1916 the South produced 16.9 per cent of the national crop of 
potatoes, the Mountain and Pacific States 19 per cent, New England 
and the Middle Atlantic States 30.2 per cent, and the North Cen- 
tral States 33.9 per cent. 
As has been otherwise stated, the South produced about one-sixth 
of the national crop of potatoes in 1916, and this crop was very largely 
of early potatoes. Two chonpeoenie a crops of potatoes are pro- 
duced in this country, the early and late crops, and the southern 
crop, largely of early potatoes, is mostly for consumption in the 
North at a time when the late crop of the preceding year has been 
nearly all consumed and the oncoming new crop of early potatoes 
sells for comparatively high prices. 
PER ACRE. 
The Bureau of Crop Estimates first determined, by estimate, the - 
average yield per acre of the potato crop of this country beginning 
with 1866. From that year to the latest year the high averages 
are 113.4 bushels per acre in 1912, 111.1 bushels in 1904, 110.5 bushels 
in 1875 and 1914, 109.5 bushels in 1869, 107.5 bushels in 1909, 102.2 
bushels in 1906, and 100.8 bushels in 1917. On the other hand, the 
years of low average production per acre are 1881 with 53.5 bushels, 
1890 with 56.7 bushels, 1887 with 56.9 bushels, 1892 with 62.1 bushels, 
1894 with 63.6 bushels, 1901 with 66.3 bushels, 1897 with 67.9 bush- 
els, and 1878 with 69.9 bushels. The yield per acre in 1916 was 
80.5 bushels, a low average for recent years which combined with 
an acreage below the usual to produce a deficient crop. 
During the 9-year period 1866-1874 the average yearly yield of 
potatoes per acre was 91 bushels, and the average markedly declined 
to 71.3 bushels in the 10-year period 1885-1894. Perceptible recov- 
ery was made in the following 10-year period, and much larger re- 
covery, rising to a new high-water mark, was reached in the 10-year 
period 1905-1914 with its average yield of 97 bushels per acre. In 
20 years the productivity of the average potato acre has increased 36 
per cent. This increase is due to various causes and among these are 
ereater specialization of production, more intensive treatment, and 
higher fertility of the soil. 
Notwithstanding great improvement in recent years, the average 
yield of potatoes per acre in the United States is low in comparison 
with the averages of prominent potato-producing countries in 
Europe. For the 10 years 1900-1909 the average production of Ger- 
many is 200 bushels per acre; of the United Kingdom, 193.8 bushels; 
of Austria, 151.1 bushels; of France, 133.8 bushels; of Hungary, 
118.7 bushels; and of European Russia, 99.9 bushels; while during 
the same period the United States averaged 91.4 bushels. 
