Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-07-18

Ahc uTrat ITOupie ~ Ahat N TEOuuCSTo
do Not Furnish Enough Material-Sum
mer FeedIng-A Level-headed Kansas
Shepherd Snhsc.llng
Anton Klaus has received a letter
concerning q potato starch factory
from Eustis 81 Aldrich, of Boston. The
irm makes potato starch a speciality,
and handles seven-eights Of all the
potato starch made In the country.
They say in substance: The average
price of potato starch, for the last three
years, has been 81 cents delivered at
the cotton mills. They note hat the
state bounty of 1c per pound has been
extended for five years and are not
aware of another state which pays a
bounty, and it seems strange to them
that the farmers do not take advantage
of this great opportunity. With this
bounty North Dakota a neat any part
of the United States in making potato
starch and they can really compete
with Germany. They deem it better
that factories should be built by local
capital as farmers could then be forced
10 carry out their contracts. Eastern
capital is wary.
The firm built the Hankinson starch
factory which has not been a great sue
cess, owing wholly to the failure of
farmers to supply potatoes according
to contrsSA Not over 13, 200 bushels
have beeS ssceived in any one year at
H~ankinson and the firm decline to in
vest any more money in other factories
until a better and safer arrangement
for the supply of potatoes is made.
1t is proposed to organize a stock
company here and get farmers inter
ested personally, so that they can share
the profits ind nave an inducement to
raise potatoes. The large acreage of
potatoes this year will be ample to
run during the season and there is
plenty of time this summer to build
a factory. The committee Of business
men interesting themselves in the
project hope to accomplish something
yet, and Mr.. Klaus is ir further cor
respondence regarding the matter.
The above article has been going the
rounds of the state press generally,
the past few weeks, and which we
reciip from the Goose River Farmer,
forms an interesting topic to our farm
ers in North Dakota. The editor of
The Republican has correspondent ex-
tensively with MessrS. Eustis & Aldrich
of Boston, relative to potato starch
factories in both states, Minnesota and
North Dakota, and has been familiar
with the workings of factories in the
former state. There is but one sue
cessfni way to operate the factories.
and that is by the farmers alone, or in
unison with business men of their
trading point cooperating and agree
ing to raise so many acres of tubers,
about what could be handled by the
factory i n case the prices compelled all
to be made into starch. Then if prices
warranted the selling on the general
market through the factory Office in
stead of making starch. This plan
assures the members of the company
the highest price obtainable and all
the profit that "a be made out vi the
crop under all conditions.
Private parties putting in factories
usually result disastrously in the end,
for they put the factory price low
enough to enable them to ear a fair
rate of interest figuring invariably
contracts in advance for so many acres
at such a price per bushel. They care
but little for the farmers interests
and when the high price comes make
enough to throw the factory to the
winds.
We advise farmers in any ard all
communities, whether off Or on a rail
road, to get together and build CO.
operatives factories, and instead of
summer-fallowing their land or raising
so much wheat raise potatoes and build
up the land. A factory costing $4,000
to $l5.c0 will handle the product of
1000 acres and will urn out starch to
the value of $50, 200; every cent of
which will be left in the neighborhood.
If a factory is remote from a railroad
starch would have to be turned out
more generally than if located at a
station for tubers could not be hauled
so far to be shipped in case the price
warranted at the stations.
Raising potatoes without a factory at
hand will only result in loss and dis
couragement in the end for the same
care will be necessary with the crops
every year, while some years a good
price will be obtained-others will not
warrant digging, thus bringing the
average to less than e a factory was
built and supplied at their price every
year.-Jamestown Alert.
---