St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-12
A POTATO STORY.
Chisago County Raised One
Fourth the States Mnr-
ply Crop.
Nearly Three Million Bushels
Grown-A Growing In
dustPy.

|. j. II. Huber, editor and proprietor OF
the North Branch Review, was in the
city yesterday OH business trip, and
incidentally gave out some information
regarding the brilliant prospects and
present prosperity of Chisago county
and its environs. "That country" he
said. lis the potato belt of the United
States. Why, last year we raised one
fourth of the potato crop of Minnesota,
Chisago county raising nearly 100000
bushels. The shipping records of North
Branch show that over 5000 cars were
shipped from that point in the past year,
besides what was used by the starch
factories. There are three of these
in opera ton at and near North Branch,
and they paid dividend of 1915 per
cent OH the investment last year, using
merely the culls of the potato product,
and paying Is and 20 cents bushel for
them. The remainder OF the crop is
almost entirely shipped to the East and
South, large dealers having buyers con-
stantly on the ground. ChiSago county
supplies practically all the seed potatoes
for Texas and Kansas, these states
being unable to raise any that can be
used for seed. as they will not keep over
winter. They are shipped to these
points and sold as New York Rose, being
credited as the best seed potatoes in the
world. The starch factories located there
! use up 10000 bushels daily, and ale pre-
| pairing to enlarge their plants to accom-
mOdate the big crop this year.
/ The average yield per acre tn Chisago
| county is from 120 to 200 bushels, and
the farmers can place them on the cars
| buShel, and receive 50 aud 30 cents from
/ buyers. The planting, cultlvating and
gathering is all done by machinery, and
one of the points of value for their
| product is that the crops are raised
without the aid of fertilizers; thus the
| growing is not pushed and the potato
! is of superior quality. The soil in this
| section is about all sand, the finest that
| can be had for growing potatoes, and
| neither wet nor drouih will affect their
growth. If it is wet, the soil being
| sandy, it will absorb the moisture, and
! if it is dry, the water of the lakes, being
only twelve feet below the sur
face, will be drawn up and keep
them growing in good condition,
giving just as good potatoes in June as
! i'll October. Nearly all farmers In that
/ section cleared 500 per acre last year
and expect to excel the record this year
One farmer cleared $1,000 on ten acres
/ the remainder of his farm paying all
| expenses of planting, living, ETC." To
show the immense amount of business
done at the point referred to, it is stated
that the bank at North Branch has paid
| out an average of $4,000 day since last
September, owing to the potato indus
| try. The land, of course, must be TO
tated, as not to exceed two crops can be
raised in succession. But farmer with
| 16O acres can plant in forties at a time,
and by turning under grass or timothy
can alternate his forties with great sue
| cess. Mr.. Huber contends that in the
near future Chisago county will do all
| the gardening for the Twin Cities, Du-
luth and Superior, and become one of
the most prosperous farming sections of
the state. The county is filled with an
| almost endless chain of lakes, and in
time can be made perfect paradise.
In shipping potatoes in the winter cars
are boarded on the inside, leaving al
| air space all around. A stove is placed
in each cal and man put in charge OF
every FIVE cars.