The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-10-15
HAS A SILVER LINING
General Crop Conditions in the Sec
ton Tributary to Princeton
Are Far From Poor.
Even The Potato Crop Not as Bad
as Some Calamity Howiers
Would Make 1t.

y OW that the weather mas cleared
and prospects look much brighter than
they did a week or ten days ago when
the rains bid fair to ruin all the crops,
everybody is feeling much better and
it would appear from all indications
that the country around Princeton is
not going to suffer as much as some
Of the calamity howlers have been
irving to make out. To begin with the
country tributary to Princeton has
been blessed with much better crops
than many parts of the counatry. 1t
is true that @ hay crop is short, but
not to any alarming and calamity ex-
tent by a long ways. Those who have
a lot OF cattle will have to dispose Of
some or move them to other places for
the winter. But the average farmer
who is wise and knows how to utilize
all that is on his farm will get his cat
tie through the winter in very good
shape. Grain is not a failure Ion
your tintype" or in any other way,
generally speaking. Then the corn
crop has surprised a whole lot OF peo-
pie who thought that there would be
no mature corn in this section. There
have been fields and fields of it. AS
far as grain goes the country about
Princeton is in very good shape.
And now as to the potato crop. 1t
is a very easy matter to cry failure
and look like lot of sinners sent for
and not ready to get on the jubilee
band wagon. That the crop has been
badly affected cannot be disputed, but
that it is practically a failure SO far
as good sound potatoes goes is far
from the truth. The local dealers have
been feeling bad and looking bad for
some days. They were justified in
feeling and looking as they have in a
certain sense. When they are obliged
to handle stock the actual value OF
which after it leaves Princeton is an
unknown quantity and which as a
matter of fact spOils on their hands,
there is no Justification for their crack
inc their ear lObes with smiles. But
the dealer is not alone in the slough
Of despond should there be one. He
is able to look after himself and take
care of himself and he is in Princeton
to make money and that is all, the
same as the farmer is in the country
to make money, and the merchant is
in Princeton to make money. Without
the dealers the farmer is like mariner
without q compass, though they don't
propose to give the farmer any more of
the compass than they have to, and
neither does the farmer intend to let
the dealer have all the exact facts as
to crops if he can help it. This is hu
man nature. 1t is not the perfect law
of love one another. But we are all
dependent on one another. There are
whole lot of potatoes in the country
and there are a whole lot of them, if
farmers are very careful in looking
after the crop. that will keep we'll in
cellars and be understandable late in
the season when prices in all prOba
bility will be much better than they
are at the present time. 1t is quite
true that the potatoes that were grown
on low ground are good for nothing
and will not even make a good quail
ity Of starch. but the bulk of the pO-
tato crop is grown on high ground and
much Of which is of a sandy loan ma
ture. Even on soil of this character
the crop in quality is very poor in
many instances. but there are never
thelc>S lot of very good potatoes
that can can be saved. Farmers ought
to be very careful and sort their po-
tatOes and save out all that are per-
fectly free from any indications of rot
and keep them seperate from the bal
ance of the crop which should be taken
to the starch afctory and disposed OF
at once. It may mean a lot of hard
work to sort the crop but the farmer
tina does this will be we'll repaid for
his trouble. The good sound potatoes
are going to be in big demand later
on and care and caution is capital for
the farmer at the present time. The
dealer does not care to handle the
mixed crop of good and bad stock as
it is a losing proposition, but he will
take the sound potatoes readily
enough. There is no need of being
in a hurry to get the stock onto mar
ket. Clean up the fields carefully and
as digging progresses look out for
the potatoes that can be stored with
any degree of safety. Dispose of all
others at once.