Some counties show much better results. Thus Bedford has an average of 958 tons; Ayrshire, 9.29 tons; Lancaster, 8 1/2 tons; Perth, Forfar, and Lanark, each over 8 tons.

Reckoning the value at £3 per ton, the Potato crop of the United Kingdom for 1908 may be valued at £21,351,000 for 7,117,000 tons, taken from 1,149,000 acres.

Apart from these the Jersey Potato crop, a portion of which is grown under glass, gives an annual yield varying since the year 1883 from 36,468 tons up to 77,800 tons. These Potatoes are all early varieties, and are exported between 1 April and the end of July, realizing as much as £29 a ton for first supplies, but dropping down to £2, 12s. for the last.

Potato growing in Jersey being such an important industry, the following official figures, compiled by the Notary Public, Jersey, may be of interest: -

Potatoes Exported from Jersey

Value.

Year.

Tons.

£

s.

d.

1883............

36,468 ......

262,472

3

4

1884............

53,655 ......

375,841

18

0

1885............

48,524 ......

319,464

3

4

1886............

64,820 ......

309,155

6

11

1887............

50,073 ......

423,888

18

10

1888............

60,988 ......

242,109

11

8

1889............

52,700 ......

264,153

15

0

1890............

54,109 ......

293,681

9

2

1891............

66,810 ......

487,642

1

8

1892 ...........

66,332 ......

376,535

15

10

1893............

57,762 ......

327,366

13

4

1894............

60,605 ......

462,895

10

5

1895............

54,290 ......

359,989

4

6

1896............

64,583 ......

435,192

0

6

1897............

53,555 ......

402,274

9

10

1898............

56,227 ......

338,269

0

0

1899............

65,040 ......

330,421

0

0

1900............

54,012 ......

445,872

0

10

1901............

51,750 ......

320,901

15

0

1902............

66,625 ......

387,364

5

0

1903............

47,530 ......

475,888

17

6

1904............

52,849 ......

233,289

9

6

1905............

48,170 ......

405,650

3

2

1906............

51,932 ......

308,229

9

2

1907............

77,800 ......

377,259

9

2

1908............

53,100 ,.....

356,305

1

8

1909............

62,690 ......

332,403

10

0

The following figures for the year 1909 show when the shipments begin and end, the number of packages, the weight and average price, and the weekly totals for the Jersey Potato crop: -

Date of Shipments.

Packages.

Net Weight in Tons.

Average Price per Ton.

Weekly Totals.

1909.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

April 5 to May 8

2,978

100

29

18

0

2,990

0

0

May 10 to May 15

17,563

640

20

7

4

13,034

13

4

May 17 to May 22

52,828

1,770

14

14

8

26,078

0

0

May 24 to May 29

113,405

5,000

10

16

8

54,166

13

4

May 31 to June 5

177,646

7,300

7

7

4

53,776

13

4

June 7 to June 12

237,445

9,750

4

2

4

40,137

10

0

June 14 to June 19

268,231

12,210

4

8

10

54,232

15

0

June 21 to June 26

251,825

11,320

3

7

2

38,016

6

8

June 28 to July 3

199,734

9,275

3

13

8

34,162

18

4

July 5 to July 10

87,503

3,875

3

0

8

11,754

3

4

July 12 to July 17

23,568

1,310

2

16

4

3,689

16

8

July 19 to July 24

2,336

110

2

12

0

286

0

0

July 26 to July 29

691

30

2

12

0

78

0

0

Totals ......

1,435,753

62,690

£5

5

6

£332,403

10

0

As there are many parts of Ireland with a climate as equable and genial as that of Jersey, if not more so, there is no reason why the culture of Early Potatoes should not be undertaken on a large scale, especially as it now takes no longer, or very little longer, to send consignments from the south, west, and north-west of Ireland to the English markets than it does from Jersey. Along the shores of Ayrshire and Wigtownshire large quantities of Early Potatoes already are grown for the English markets, but are later than the supplies from Jersey. With good culture and good soil it ought to be possible to grow more Early Potatoes, and thus secure higher prices than is at present the case.