The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-05-19
GERMAN POTATOES.
Millions OF Bushels Imported Annual,
BY American Dealers.

millions OF Bushels Imported Annual.
BY American Dealers.
The exporting of German potatoe'
to the United States is n comparativel,
new business, a rather small mater
now, but growing, and likely to as
sumo large proportions. The United
States. it would seem, can not rails,
enough potatoes to supply the HON,
demand. In 1856 we imported L.
9S7, SOC bushels of potatoes. and ex
por.ed. of our best varieties, 494 94s
bushels, our net imports amounting.
then. to 1.442 44S bushels; in 1885,
We imported L.432. 400 bushels and
exported 4S4. 864 bushels. leaving oul
real deficit at 997. 626 bushels. The
last crop was said to be about 80. 900.
000 bushels short. s. that 1t may be
set down for an assured fact that for
1878 we will be obliged to import
much more largely than We imported
in either of the two previous years.
1t is a long time since potatoes were
so scarce and so high in the United
States as now.
The fact that prime quality German
potatoes are bringing 81 a bushel at
retail in the New York market is al
''eyc-opener' to the farmers who
raised them. The 165-pound sack of
these potatoes 1.-TWO bushels, about
which sell for 80, is equivalent in Ger
man measure to IS kilos; now, if e.
kilos' weight fetch 50, which is
equivalent to 8 marks and so pfen-
nige, it follows that 100 kilos will
fetch s. 10. or about IS marks and
5 pfennige. That people in the United
States will pay such prices for pota-
toes is astonishing to the Germans,
and that they can afford to do it is a
real 'eye-opener' to them.
The finest potatoes that are raised
in Germany are quoted at 6 marks, or
81. so per 100 kilos, and the next grade
at 4 marks, or about 95 cents per 100
kilos, in the retail market in
Berlin. A hundred kilos is equiv
Alent to 221 pounds avoirdupois.
That is to say. that the bushel Ct
German potatoes that sells at retail in
New York for 81, sells at retail in
BArlin for about 81 cents, and the next
grade, which probably sells for about
IS cents per bushel in New York,
sells for 80 cents in Berlin. The duty
on imported potatoes is 10 cents per
bus hel, hence it would seem that with
duty and other expenses added, some
body should be making a very good
thing from the sale of German pota.
toes III America. The German farm
ers "deny the soft impeachment
whilh admitting that they get y fair
price for their potatoes. 1t must be
that the importers and dealers in New
York make the money. So long as
German potatoes bring 81 a bushel in
New York, surely the American farm
Ell can not complain Of ruinous compe-
tition. The business of exporting
German potatoes to America is, how
ever, in its infancy yet.
The first shipment was made
last September, when 5000 BUSH
els were sent from Stettin; the results
were so satisfactory that a regular
business was established, and ship
ments are now made every week. II
Germany should have a bad potato
year, of course, the expectation would
fall off, because the home distillcrs
and manufacturers must b. supplied,
as we'll as the town demand for raw
potatoes. But the crop is so enor-
nous that it must be q very bad year
that does not yield something of a sur
plus. Germany has also something of
a trade with us in potato starch. hay
ing shipped in nine months of last
year 80, 900 marks worth; that BUSH
ness with the United States, however,
is not important, and is o likely to
become so. as long as W. protect our
own starch producers by a tax of two
cents per pound on the imported a.
ticlc. The potato business is quite an-
other matter. and. rs before said, is |
likely to assume large proportions
N. J. Mail and Erpress.