The Princeton union., 1902-04-17
MARKET ABOUT OVER
Potatoes Tributary to Princeton Are
About all Observation-Disclosures
Now Practically Nil.
An Approximate Estimate for the
Season--Biggest Year of all
And Prospects Good.

The potato shipping season is fast
drawing to a close, and the buyers are
one by one withdrawing from the mar
ket. Princeton has been a very lively
potato market during the past few
months and leads all the other markets
in volume of business. AS has been
noted heretofore the receipts of pota-
toes at Princeton during the present
season has been all of fifty per cent
greater than the year previous. Then
there have been many more buyers on
the market, and during the busy part
OF the season there were over two
dozen buyers on this market. The
great scarcity of potatoes in the south
ern sections forced many new buyers
on the market from points in the
south, who have remained all winter.
Then there were the ''snipers" who
would drop in and pick up few car
loads for shipment and disappear. It
is hard to form record of the amount
of potatoes that have been shipped
from Princeton the past season and
not until all the potatoes have gone
forward can any accurate data be OBJ
tanned. There are still close to 100
cars of potatoes to go forward from this
market. One buyer who has been on
the market since the first of the year
and has shipped nearly fifty loads to
Missouri says he has orders to ship ten
more cars if he can get them and he
will stay and try and make out the
order. The season will close with a
record of close around $500 carloads
OF potatoes or approximately 100000
bushels.
There have been conditions to the
market this season that may not hap
pen again in long time. The crop in
the southern section of the country
was almost a failure and in some Sec
tions was practically a failure. There
was big demand for potatoes late last
summer and early in the fall, but the
movement here did not begin until late
in September when there was rush
of potatoes and prices were high.
Ohios sold at 80 to IS cents and other
varieties around so cents at the open
ing of the season and there was feel
ing that prices would go on rampage
as winter came on. Many buyers were
willing to contract for potatoes at 80
cents and above that sold soon after
for As and SO cents and ruled close
around these prices large part of the
season. The Ohio is the high-priced
potato of the season and sold consider
ably above the dollar mark during the
portion of the season when it was in
the best demand. At the opening of
the year it had reached close to the
dollar mark and held it's own until the
close of the season. The Triumph po-
tato has it's best day along in Decem-
Der on this market when buyers are
getting them in preparatory for ship
ment to the Texas market, but many
farmers held Triumphs until the op-
perfume time for selling had gone by
The Burbank is the standard potato
and is a prime favorite on any market.
1t is to the potato market what No. l
hard wheat is to the wheat market.
Triumphs and Ohios rank next to the
Burbank, with the Rose in third place,
but the Rose was quite a favorite this
season because of an unusual demand
in the south and the scarcity at times
on the market of Ohios and Triumphs.
Rose, Triumphs and Burbanks have
been running a neck and neck race the
last few weeks with very few cents
difference in price, Rose and Triumphs
finished the season at around 70 cents
and Burbanks which are about the
only potatoes that are left on the mar
ket and for which there is any demand
are selling at 72 cents.
There are a good many conditions
governing the potato market. The
buyer knows many of them, and yet is
oftentimes confronted with many new
phases and situations. There are some
general rules that he goes by and must
adhere to. 1t must be remembered
that while the Minnesota potato belt
is famous for it's product, still it is but
drop in the bucket when the rest of
the country does anything at all at
potato raising. The potato does busi-
ness under the ground and not until
the whole crop is brought to light can
anything like reasonably accurate
opinion be formed of the prospects of
the market. -
There is one thing sure, however,
and that is that the Minnesota potato
belt potato is a prime fnvorite in all
markets. It is a good locker, good
keeper and for seed and eating pur-
poses takes the cake. Princeton has a
bright outlook as potato market and
is bound to grow with rapid strides in