The Saint Paul globe., 1898-04-29
MARKET SUMMARY.

The produce market at st. Paul is IN
healthy condition. There has been, during the
past week, quite a boom IN potatoes Mixed
stock commands from "A to As cents bushel,
while Burbanks, which are recogrsed as the
best are worth 5S to 60 cents a bushel. In
the opinion of merchants lower prices are
not looked for In the immediate future. The
extreme Eastern and middle states are maxi
ing heavy demands upon Minnesota and the
territory tributary to st. Paul. 1t is the judg-
ment of dealers that there is no reason for
expectancy Of exorbitant prices. Supplies
are coming forward from Oregon and Wash
ington. Merchants in st. Paul are supply
ing Southern trade from these sources now.
The demand is considerable from Kansas and
Missouri
But the price of potatoes at this time is
not high compared with the figures which
ruled several years ago. In 1894 potatoes were
sold here by the car load lot at S1.10 per
bushel, and the figures elsewhere reached $14o
per bushel in different parts of the country.
Few potatoes are bought here for seeding
purposes. 1t is said the farmers exchange
amongst themselves the stock for planting
However, the produce men are selling large
quantities Of what are known as the Red
River Early Ohios' for planting. These are
regarded as the best early market potatoes of
the Northwest. They are more hardy thar
all Others and they stand shipment better
even than the Early Rose.
The following views from the Orange Judd
Farmer may be accepted an indication Of
the trend of this industry:
That the acreage of early potatoes in the
South would be materially increased was 10
be expected, considering the high prices
ruling all winter and spring. Recent in
vestigation made by Orange Judd Farmer
adds further testimony along this line, and
new stock from Florida, Southern Georgia,
etc., is plentiful in Northern markets.
While the acreage seeded whole has
been decidedly larger throughout the South,
the fact of unfavorable weather cond ons
in many instances will serve to restrict to
some extent the actual increase in tonnage.
Largely increased qualities of seed stock
were shipped from the North into the
South; from Aroostook county, Me-. more
than double the amount was started to the
South up to early April than during the
same period year ago.
The increased acreage in Florida and
other and adjoining sections is yielding
well, both as to size and quality of tubers,
and promises to surpass last season. A
weil-posted dealer in the South expresses
the opinion that the acreage in portions of
the potato belt of Mississippi and Tennessee
is somewhat smaller than year ago. This
is by no means universal, as the high
prices have greatly stimulated seeding on
the part of all farmers who could secure
seed, and Tennessee has liberal acreage
with the weather conditions devoid of par
ticular feature aside from a frost early in
April which caused some damage to early
planted fields. Potatoes in Arkansas have
suffered from wet weather, and there is
complaint that the ground is tco cold for
the seed to germinate well, this possibly
having its influence ultimately on the crop.
Many farmers in the state last named were
without seed, the Triumph being grown
very largely in that section. Kentucky has
a good acreage, but weather has not been
favorable, many potatoes on low lands be-
ing drowned cut" and recent frosts do
further
to replant a good share of the crop.
Farmers are well along with planting as
far north as New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Southern Ohio, Illinois, etc, although the
last two weeks have been somewhat cold
and unfavorable for seeding. In Aroostook
county, Maine, farmers are preparing to
plant larger acreage than usual. This is
also true in the main of the heavy potato
section of Michigan, Wisconsin and the
Northwest generally.
Large quantities from the famous Aroos-
took section of Northern Maine have been
moved to the South. From the crop of 1896
total of ffty-eight carloads seed stock
were shipped to southern points. This year,
from the crop of 1897, and up to April 7,
total of 1853 cars Aroostook potatoes had
been shipped to points south of Philadelphia
and not including the New York, Pennsyl-
have been distributed as follows:
Destination. Cars Destination. Cars
Charleston. S. c.. ..55 Atlanta. Ga. ..
Austin. Tex ....... Washington D. c. 6
houston, lex .....1U Augusta u 49,. IA
Sherman, Tex ..... Richmond Va. -. s
Savannah, Ga. 80. Galveston, Tex. II
Corsicana, Tex -. Wichita Falls, Tex.
Clarksville, Tex -. Temple, Tex. ......
Whtewright Tex. 1,Belton, Tex. .
Brunswick, Ga. -. 2 Ardmore, l. t.. 1
Wilmington, N c.. y Nashville. Tenn -. 1
Dallas. Tex. ....... Mckinney, Tex. :. /
Jacksonville. Tex. IA Gainesville, Tex l
Columbia. Ga. ..... Alexandria, Va. 80. 1
New Orleans, La. q Elberton Ca /
The above figures and statement afford a
good insight into this branch of the produce
business associated with the cultivation OF
potatoes. good many Minnesota farmers
laid on their backs in the grass last summer
while potatoes were growing, and counted
their profits on the fingers of their hands,
But that is not good way to raise potatoes
or to enrich the owners of farms. That which
can be done in Maine can be done in Mime
sofa.
The Northern seed potato is sought by the
Southern farmer, while 1t is well-known
fact that the Western potato as commercial
quantity does not stand transportation South
ward so well as the Southern potato endures
the same process Northward. The potato is a
queer being, and his name Irish" is we'll
applied because of his volatility. The best
| thing to do when you find potato is to cook
him. In that way you learn what is really in
him, before he gets his Irish instincts reused