New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-21
POTATOES.

This article Of food ia unreasonably, unnecesss-
rly high in this City. Retailers ask from 81 l2I 70
50 bushel and not very good or very honest meas
ure at that and this is at what they call reduced
price BY the barrel potatoes have been held uutd
quite lately at s3as3 50, and the lowest price we
have heard named for cheap varieties Is 81 s7l THIS
is 75c busbe by the quantity. What is the cause
Of or reason for, such prices This is 1t. During
the droutb there was fair prospect that potatoes
would be scarce and consequently HIGH and the fore
stsllers Of the market, a class of men that buy up
everything that comes to the City for food started
their agents out into the country to engage all the
potatoes that could be found anywhere near the Cty
and when they could not buy them induce the holder
10 mt no the price. For weeks every man on his
way 10 market was met the boat or train with an
offer for his potatoes, and if he wOud not sell them
TO the specuator he received such an influence that
be asked " the top Of the market price to others
Those who operating in this line, soon after the
fall of rain 10 September began to discover that po-
tatoes had not done growing and more than that the
prices which they had inflated would draw supplies
from distant points, and then they would be stuck
in their early purchases. To cOrnteract this aud
keep up prices, we have heard of sundry devices
worthy of niche in the temple that may be erected
70 perpetuate the cute tricks Of the cunning opera
tors in the produce market.
Apents have been sent into districts likely to FUR
nish large supplies, TO buy crops deliverable at
future day at very high prices. Sometimes small
sum is paid which is be forfeited If the buyer does
not come back by a certain day sometimes the Jar
mer is told as great secret that potatoes are on inc
decline now-tbat he has already learnt from other
sources-but If be will hold they will be very high
in the winter or spring. Sometimes the operator
assures the farmer particularly if he is an Irish one,
that the potato crop in the 'ould country IS all
cut of, and that will keep them high here.
Such are some Of the appliances secretly used to
keep back the supply of potatoes IN the country until
those on hand can be worked of at high prices, not
for the benefit Of the farmer, but the gobeween be-
tween him and the consumer.
Upon this subject propose TO throw little ighi'
for the benefit of all parties, except the potato specH
lators.
In the first place. the story Of scarcity in ireland is
all barney The supply viii be better, IN proportion
to the present population than it has been for many
wears according the best information tina. we can
gather. Although smaller in SIZE the quality Is sad
to be excellent and free from disease Grain too Is
ebut dsnt and if potatoes there and here continue at
present rates we may expect to see real Irish pota
toes selling in our markets before spring.
OF the crop in this country we have already given
consider able information. We repeat, thai IN as
tricts most affected by drouth, the potatoes on dIy
land were almost wholly destroyed, exceptsome Of the
latest planted. which merely lived through the dry
weather and are now growing and likely to make
toerable CROP In the drouhafected regions, all that
were planted upon land which always fails In very
wet season are likely TO turn out one of the best crops
for wears. The rain came just in time to make the
tubers grow quick and consequently rich, and so lar
advanced into the wet season that they escape the
rot We were shown sample the other day oil Eng
Hsh pink. ewes grown by Mr.. Schuyler Of Herkimer
County that were equel 10 anything we have seen
for many years. The fe that were exhibited al me
State Fair were a. healthy fine looking tabers as we
used TO exhume from the soil Of old Connecticut long
vears before the rot had ever been heard Of From
the repor, of every State and County Fair that we
have seen, we are led to conclude that tie crop IL
not large one the quality is better than it has been
before for several years.
The Hartford Times Gays:
1--WE have never seen, during the past eight year,
such fine potatoes have appeared IN ths maIA:.
the present fall and the favor Is sup ,Tlor 70 VIZ
has been for wears. We notice also thal the CIVP
superior as well as abundant al around u.s. e1cSP1 -
few isolated cases where there are always iauTes
owing TO soil and cultivation, not TO Inc seasoh'
A friend from Tollsnd County, l6 miles east OF
Hartford stated to US at our Fair that potatoes hAa
not not been as good in that county for many years
though all the fields on dry land that were pan'ea
early had failed and before the rain was feared tna
the entire crop would be worthless
letter from Litchfed says the late potatoes " mai
county viii yield well and ore OF excellent qusHy'
The Rhode Island papers say there Il no aise1se
smong the potatoes in that State and the qusy Is oe'
fer than il has been in former years ard from Tue O
Information likely to turn out fair average yeld'
In various places in Massachusetts and Vernon
potatoes are selling at railroad stations for % ''3 o.
ard AZ cents bushel. With few exceptions, IN az us
New -Enguud States, the aggregate yield OF "Nos
town will exceed any former year OF late oil sooI
sound potatoes free from disepe and OF thar Ni'!
rich quality 60 common TO them in olden time 20 'h4'
their value for human food is much greater than a'
been during the prevalence of the rot.
The Hudscn Star ssys:
Potatoes axe coming dorm ia price & alai-. an