23 
and highest in the comparatively unimportant south-western 
counties, where it reaches over 164 cwt. Of the total production 
of 159,000 tons in 1925 the eastern and north-eastern divisions 
together contributed 109,000 tons or 69 per cent. and the east 
midlands 22,000 tons or 14 per cent. 
The four divisions (eastern, north-eastern, south-eastern and 
east midlands) in which appreciable areas of peas are grown are 
remarkably uniform in average yield, all recording an average of 
between 13 and 14 cwt. per acre during the period 1915 to 1924, 
although of these the division with the largest acreage, the 
castern, has the lowest yield, 13:3 cwt. per acre. The total 
production in 1925 amounted to 64,000 tons, of which 47,300 
tons or 74 per cent. were obtained in the eastern and north-eastern 
divisions. 
The production of beans and peas given above excludes, how- 
ever, the yield from those areas where the crop is picked or cut 
green and is thus by no means representative of the total produc- 
tion of the country. The total area of beans in 1925 was 191,000 
Acres and of peas 131,000 acres, and about 6 per cent. of the acreage 
of beans and no less than 33 per cent. of that of peas, were returned 
as for picking or cutting green in 1925, the great bulk being for 
Picking green. These are dealt with in Section (f) of this Chapter 
With other vegetable crops grown for human consumption. 
b) Potatoes. 
Lincoln (Holland) and the Isle of Ely are pre-eminent for 
Potato growing having in relation to total arable area 28 per 
tent. and 20 per cent. respectively under potatoes, while 
Lancashire and Cheshire come next with 18% and 12 per cent. 
respectively. No other county exceeds 12 per cent., but 
Bedford, Huntingdon, Lincoln (Lindsey and Kesteven), Soke 
of Peterborough, Yorkshire (West Riding) and Stafford have 
from 6 to 9 per cent., and the two groups of counties comprising 
all those to which reference has been made may be regarded as 
the chief producing areas of the nation’s potato supply. Outside 
bhese arcas, Durham (8 per cent. of the arable area) grows 
Potatoes for the industrial north, and Middlesex (10 per cent.) 
and Kent and Surrey (6 per cent.) for the London area. Elsewhere 
the proportion of potatoes to total arable area ranges from 1 per 
“ent. to 5 per cent., such districts producing almost entirely for 
local consumption. There is, however, an important movement 
of carly potatoes from Cornwall, these potatoes being on the 
Market before any are available from other parts of the country. 
Map VIII shows the area of potatoes per 100 acres of arable land 
each county. 
~The smallest acreage of potatoes recorded was in 1878, the 
crease in the area under potatoes between that year and 1925 
~ * See alsn Report on the Marketing of Potatoes in England and Wales. 
ficonomic Series No. 9. 1926.