The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-13
destruction Of Staple Crop in the
American Bottoms Has Far
Reaching Effect.
KAW VALLEY SUPPLY CUT OFF.
Loss of Universally Favored Vege-
table on the East Side Alone
Is Estimated at More
Than $1,000,000.

one OF the greatest losses the farmer
PROBABLY Will sustain from the Hood will be
the destruction CT the potato crop in the
American bottoms. and the rich valley of
the Kaw
Old potatoes in st. Louis yesterday sold
from SI.Io to sl.0 bushel. The average
price before the flood was % cents.
Inc potato is almost invariably n part OF
the meal OF the rich and the poor, and there
Is no other food product that commands the
place in the produce market that is occupied
by the lowry brown .spud"
1t is reckoned that each inhabtant OF st.
LOUIS consumes 40 bushels of potatoes
during the year. and the American bottoms.
under ordinary circumstances, produce
enough potatoes to supply city three times
as large as St. Louis.
AS the potato crop of Madison and St.
Clair counties. in Illinois. will have been
under water at least two weeks before the
water recedes. It is generally believed that
the crop Will be an entire failure.
The most saneuine hope entertained by
those interested in the crop is that one
third of the potatoes will be able to survive
the rot that will inevitably follow the flow
of the water from the lands.
Reports from the Kaw valley Indicate a
similar condition. A million and a half
bushels were expected from these rich bot
tom lands. but it is believed that there will
not be one-iifth Of the crop available.
FROM the American bottoms this year 1t
was expected that $4,000 bushels would be
harvested. A fair valuation Of such q crop
is placed at s.7O,Oo0 Under the present
conditions there will be a loss of more than
EAST SIDE CROP RUINED.
Potatoes from the American bottoms find
their way all over the United States New
York. Boston. Chicago and many Western
cities draw upon the supply. The failure of
,he crop will. therefore, have mere than a
local influence on the market
Loca! commission merchants are looking
with interest upon the flood conditions on
the East Side being unable as yet to meas
ure the effects of the flood upon the garden
truck and small fruit
The potato crop OF the Illinois bottoms Is
virtually ruined" said Manly G. Richmond
Of the Shaw-Richmond Produce Company.
our firri las leo acres in potatoes. and We
can possibly escape rottng for they Will
have been under water at least two weeks"
The effect of the loss OF the American
bottom potato crop" said William G. Muel-
to the bad transportation facilities the
Whole produce market is now affected. The
loss or the American bottom crop will have
more than transient Influence on the price
of tho commodity
Potatoes are selling at wholesale to-day
for s1.lo TO 81. 20 for old potatoes. while new
ones are bringing sl.3g to s1.25. The price
WILL of course, fall as soon as normal con-
dittons arrive. but believe that the loss of
the American bottom crop Is apt to keep
the price of potatoes high for the remainder
of the season.
There is also considerable loss in the
cabbage crop In the American bottoms.
They usually ship 1000 carloads OF this
vegetable, and this year / am afraid the
crop Is total loss.
OTHER CROPS DESTROYED.
THE sweet corn crop can. of course. be
replanted and the loss repaired to certain
extent. 1t is said that 10000 worth of
sweet corn was destroyed. and the replant-
Ing will only partly cover the loss"
The potato crop situation, however, Is the
most serious one that is confronting the
produce dealers. and, OF course. the public.
. The crop believed to be lost in the Amer
lean Bottoms will likely effect the local
market to such an extent that the one and
four-ffths bushels of potatoes. that Is the
portion Of every inhabitant OF st. Louis.
Will cost this year twice as much as last
b. shells of potatoes a day. or. 6i4 car loads
The value of the potato supply of st. Louis
for the year is placed at s65o.OOo.
The. expected 1000 car load crop OF the
total loss. is Vailed at 81. 10000. 60 An idea
OF the extent of the lost crop can be gained
from the fact that II 1t were possible to
put such a crop in one large railroad train
1t would be over 90 miles long, extending
from st. Louis to Louisiana. Mo.
: The finest grade of potatoes grown on the
east side are planted on the higher ground
and are. of course, saved. But this output
bottoms. and, therefore, has little effect on
the situation.