Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-05-26
THE POTATO IMPORTATIONS.
How the European Countries are
Profiting by the Failure of our Crop
From the New York SUM-

present season has already led to large
importations from Europe. The returns
Of the Bureau of Agriculture, calculated
up to Oct. 1, places the decline in pro-
duction, under the average, at 29, 600, 900
bushels. The cause of the decline has
been the long prevailing drought during
the fall in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana,
and Ohio, which has stunted the growth
of the tuber in these States to such an
extent that the gross yield per acre is
only one third of the average. On the
o. her hand, the amount of rain in the
Eastern seaboard during the early part
OF the season caused many of the half
grown potatoes to rot in the ground be-
fore coming to maturity.
The number of sacks received from
Great Britain from Oct 1 to Dec. 80
amounted to 152, 752, as compared with
319 sacks for the corresponding period
last year, while from the continent of
Europe, chiefly Germany and Belgium,
A, S01 sacks, as compared with 1904,
have been received. Since the new year
commenced "a, 900 sacks have arrived
from Great Britain, and there are no
signs that this rate of importation will
decrease until the end of the present
season.
The supply of the city of New York
alone is a serious drain on the potato
market, the daily consumption amount
ing to about 1000 barrels. In ordinary
years 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 of
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 $1.75 to So per $50
pounds to an average of from $2.12 to
$237.
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 fixed duty of As cents as
tariff charge and freight charges of about
cents on each $50 pounds the Euro
pean markets can proftably supply the
tuber, at prices which will prevent for
some time potatoes rising to prohibi-
tory price in this country.
The different measures of weight used
by different countries as a standard in
PRODUCES considerable element of diff
Guilty in comparing relative prices. In
the United States bushel of potatoes
weighs about sixty pounds, and three
bushels make a barrel. Potatoes which
arrive here in British steamships are
carried in sacks which weigh 168
pounds, while the sacks which come
from Germany hold only ITO pounds.
Reducing these two latter to the Ameri-
can standard of $50 pounds to the bar
rel, the present average prices are: Bur
bank produced in New York State from
s.. II to $2.37, Scotch magnums 81. IA,
English magnums 50. 03 and best picked
German S2,37. Barrels from Nova SEQ
tia also bring good prices, ranging from
$2.25 to $2.37. These prices are those
of the importer and wholesale merchant,
delivered free at the store. The mid
dlemen charge an average of % cents a
barrel in addition, and the retailer sup
plies the consumer at whatever price he
can get.
prominent dealer and importer of pc.
tatoes said this morning: ''The potato
crop all over the world is an exceedingly
hazardous one The Irish famine of
1S47 was the first example of this truth
on a large scale, but since then there is
always a partial failure of the crop in
some quarter of the world. AS a rule
England does not grow enough potatoes
for her own use, and yet she is able to
spare enough this year to export them to
this country. The last great failure of
the crop in the United States was six
years ago, when Ireland sent us large
quantities. Yet the year previous pota-
toes were so scarce in London that one |
firm alone had 100000 tons imported
from abroad, stored to meet the expect
ed deficiency. The production last year
in the United States was not equal to |
the demand, but it was not until the
month of April that large importations
were resorted to.
The best imported potatoes come from
Germany, as their high price will show.
This is chiefly because they are specially
picked, and the Germans have learned
that it pays to take trouble over little
things. For the next two months this
source of supply will be cut off on
account of the frost, as there are no
heated freight cars in Europe to trans
port then with out injury. Scotland has
been exporting largely this season, prin-
cipally magnums and regents. The
champions which had great name for
many years as good potato with large
Weld, and very slow to become diseased, |
are also exported, but this kind is wear
ing out. 1t is not liked on account of
its tendency to grow too large and be-
come hollow in the centre. Scotch po-
tatoes give the best average in large
quantities. If they do not bring the
highest price in the market, when i'm
ported potatoes are wanted, they are
always in good demand at fair price.
Champions are the lowest priced Scotch
potatoes in the market with the excep-
ton of inferior grades of German. The
former are sold as low as SITS barrel
.rl Al, lof low Sl 20 TIL, Tell