St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-05-12
GERMAN POTATOES
MILLIONS OF Bushels Imported Annually
by American DeaIars

]
by American Dealers
The exporting of German potatoc
to the United States is comparativel
new business, a rather small matte
noW' but growing, and likely to as
sumo large proportions. The Unite,
states. 1t would seem, can not rails
enough potatoes to supply the HON
demand. In 1856 we imported i
93I 1896 bushels of potatoes, and ex
ported. OF our best varieties, 1914 ga
bushels, our net imports amounting
then. to LAP AIS bushels; in 1886,
we imported 1882 400 bushels anC
exported 434 1854 bushels, leaving ou1
real deficit at 997. GIG bushels. TIL,
| last crop was said to be about 80, 600
900 bushels short. 50 that it NAV be
set down for an assured fact that for
1888 we will be obliged to import
much more largely than we imported
in either of the two previous wears
1t is long time since potatoes were
so scarce and so high in the United
States as now.
The fact that prime quality G ,rman
potatoes are bringing 81 a bushel at
retail in the New York market is an
'eye-opener' to the farmers who
raised them. The 165-pound sack of
these potatoes (two bushels about, y
which sell for So. is equivalent in Ger
man measure to IS kilos; now, if 65
kilos' weight fetch 50, which is
equivalent to 8 marks and 50 pfen-
nige, it follows that 100 kilos will
"fetch' s.. 10. or about 10 marks and
8 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 marks, or
81. so per 100 kilos, and the next GRADE
at marks, or about IS 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 Of
German potatoes that sells at retail in
New York for 81, sells at retail in
Berlin for about So cents, and the next
grade. which probably sells for about
85 cents per bushel in New York,
sells for IS cents in Berlin. The duty
on imported potatoes is Is cents per
bushel, 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 in America. The German farm
ers deny the soft impeachment"
while admitting that they get 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 bushel in
New York, surely the American farm
II can not complain of ruinous compe-
.ition. The business of exporting
German potatoes to America is, how
aver, in its Infancy vet.
The first shipment was made
asst September, when 5000 bush
lis were sent from Stettin; the results
we're so satisfactory that regular
business was established, and ship
nents are now made every week. If
Germany should have bad potato
rear, of course, the expectation would
all off, because the home distillers
nd manufacturers must be supplied,
S we'll as the town demand for raw
But the crop is so enor-
nous that it must be a very bad year
hat does not yield something of sur
lus. Germany has also something of
trade with us in potato starch, hay
ng shipped in nine months of last
ear 80. 900 marks worth; that bust
ess with the United States. however,
) not important, and is not likely to
ecome so. as long as we protect our
wn starch producers by tax of two
ents per pound on the imported az
Gle. The potato business is quite an
Their matter, and, as before said, is
kelly to assume large proportions. -
. Y. Mail and Express.
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