Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1888-02-11
THE POTATO IMPORTATIONS.
How the European Countries arc
Profitinc by the Failure of our crop.
From the New York SUM-


The practical failure of the potato
cron in the United States during the |
nrcsent season has already led to large |
lamentations from Europe. The returns |
of the Bureau Of Agriculture, calculated
mn 10 Oct. |, places the decline IN pro
dnction, under the average, ut 29,Ooo,ooo
bushels. The cause of the decline has
been the long prevailing drought during
the fall i'm Illinois, Michigan, Indiana,
and Ohio, which has stunted the growth
of the tuber in these States 10 such an
extent that the gross yield per acre is
only one Thrill of the average. On the
n her hand. the amount of rain III the
Eastern seaboard during the early part
of the season caused many OF the nan
grown potatoes to rot IN the grounu De
fore coming to maturity.
The number Of sacks received from
Great Britain from Oct. l to Dec. 80
amounted to 1j2, 752, as compared with
3l9 sacks for the corresponding perloi
last year, while from the continent OF
Europe. chiefly Germany and Belgium,
a. sol .ncks. rs compared with 3,5O4,
have becn received. Since the new year
commenced 24,O00 sacks have arrived
from Great Britain, and there are no
sions that this rate of importation VIII
decrease until the end OF the present
season.
The supply of the city OF New ork
alone is n serious drain on the potato
market. the daily consumption amount
ing to about 1000 barrels. In ordinary
wears the largest portion of this supply
| is obtained from the acreage under po-
tato cultivation throughout the State.
The northern portions Of the State, more
especially Saratoga and Washington
counties, grow immense quantities Oh
POTATOES. In this part of the country
| the decline in production has been less
marked than anywhere else, but the de-
mand in the West has been so great that
this city has already actually felt the
scarcity. and prices have risen from an
average of from Sl.75 to 81 per $50
pounds to an average of from ST. to
S2.37.
By fortunate coincidence, which also
happened six years ago, when the last
failure of the potato crop IN the United
States took place, the yield this sea
son in Europe is unusually abundant
and of excellent quality. So IN
spite of a fixed duty of 45 cents as
tariff charge and freight charges of about
6 cents on each $50 pounds the Euro
pean markets can probably supply the
tuber, at prices which will prevent tol
some time potatoes rising to prohibl
tory price in this country.
The different measures OF weight USED
bv different countries as standard IN
PRODUCES a considerable clement of diff
Guilty in comparing relative prices. Ii
the United States a bushel of potatoes
weighs about sixty pounds, and tire,
bushels make barrel. Potatoes which
arrive here in British steamships ar
carried in sacks which weigh To-
pounds, while the sacks which COM
from Germany hold only 10 pounds
Reducing these two latter to the Amer
can standard of $50 pounds to the bar
rel, the present average prices are: Bun
bank produced i'll New York STATE iron
10 to S2.37, Scotch magnums 81. Ia
English magnums S2.03 and best picke
German S2,37. Barrels from Nova Sec
tia also bring good prices, ranging tror
81. % to S2.37. These prices are thos
. of the importer and wholesale merchant
: delivered free at the store. The MID
: dlemen charge an average of % cents
: barrel in addition, and the retailer SUI
6 plies the consumer mt whatever price h
: can get.
: A prominent dealer and importer of pc
tatoes said this morning: 1.-The potat
: crop all over the world is an exceedingl
: hazardous one. The Irish famine {
= 1S47 was the first example of this trut
on a large scale, but since then there
8 always partial s:>....Gre OF the crop
some carter of the world. As rul
; ) England does not grow enough potatot
:. for her own use, and yet she Is able
y spare enough this year to export them
y this country. The last great failure
!, the crop in the United States was S
L years ago, when Ireland sent us larG
- quantities. Yet the year previous pot
toes were so scarce in London that oil
. firm alone had 10000 tons importt
= from abroad, stored to meet the eXpec
:, ~ ed deficiency. The production last We
a in the United States was not equal
~ The demand, but it was not until Il
a. month of April that large importation
-. were resorted to.
u The best imported potatoes come fro
N Germany, as their high price will sho
= This is chiefly because they are special
-, ~ picked, and the Germans have learn
= that it pays to take trouble over lit
n things. For the next two months IL
ii source of supply will be cut off
~ account of the fros!, as there are
n heated freight cars in Europe to tran
~ port then with out injury. Scotland h
been exporting largely this season. pr