Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-04

many varieties Of potatoes, especially
when mixed, will spoil the price and trade
in potatoes.
The usual plan OF marketing is for deal
ers and traders from the east and south,
who commence coming into the shipping
points each season as soon as the harvest
ing Of the crops opens, and remain as long
as shipping can be safely conducted. When
prices are good, as is the case at the pres
ent time the greater portion Of the crop
IL disposed of for immediate shipment.
The hold-over stock remains in the hands
Of the growers and local dealers who
who store in pits and cellars and COM
mence shiT hing asain as early in the
spring as the weather will warrant without
danger OF freezing.
The building Of large potato cellars and
caves on the farms where the potatoes are
grown Is becoming a common practice
with the enterprising potato farmer who
desires to put himself in position to be In
dependent Of all force sale conditions that
may arise during the early part of the
marketing season. The storing of the crop
has usually proven a good investment to
those who have practiced 1t. The storing
in pits has also been quite successful, de-
pending, Of course. upon the knowledge and
skill in building and covering to properly
protect the potatoes.
PROFIT i'm Holding the Crop.
The present prospect for profit in holding
the crop over has never been more encour-
aging at this season of the year. Prices
opened. in this district, at the beginning OF
the harvest at 30 cents and advanced to 80
cents before half the crop was out of the
ground. The average price paid for pota-
toes for the last ten years at Gordon is said
a. q. mo- or
tho present crop In the face of the short
age in so many districts now reported there
can scarcely be a doubt of a 5O-cent price
being realized for the bulk OF the 1906
product.
There is great activity just now among
dealers In getting shipments out. The
scarcity Of cars is the feature of greatest
embarrassment. Freight rates are not so
much matter Of complaint as in former
years. The rate to Omaha from Gor7on is
20 cents per hundred on carload lots; TO
Kansas City % cents. The Chicago rates
are considered prohibitve and no mention
of that market is ever made by growers or
dealers. Kansas City has a number OF buy
ers in the field, likewise Lincoln and o her
Nebraska towns in the southern half Of the
state, where the potato crop has proven
partial failure. The mining districts to the
west and north also take a large share Of
the crop produced.
The yield per acre is one Of the most inn
portant questions in the mind Of the in
quirer, in seeking information as 20
the value OF any crop industry. The
yield per acre varies greatly, ow-
ing to the numerous conditions that
influence yield. In the potato yiel7
OF northwestern Nebraska there is no OK
ception. The yield per acre runs all the
way from 100 bushels to 800 bushels depend
ing mainly upon seed and cultivation The
good farmer who IS willing to give his land
plenty Of work, from the blowing of the
soil to the final cultivation, will univer-
sally be in advance OF his more careless
neighbor, in amount OF crop obtained II
is safe TO say that $50 to 200 bushels per
acre is one Of the easy possibilities with
the average potato grower.
II IS estimated by conservative persons
who have been engaged regularly for years
in growing potatoes in this district, that
the cost OF the crop where the yield runs
from 100 to $50 bushels per acre, is about
10 cents per bushel, and that the cost de-
creases with the increased production.
This cost includes all expense from the
beginning Of the work to the delivery Of
the potatoes TO the car for shipment It
may readily be estimated that under pres
ent condition there would be a net profit
in the potato business of S25 to $45 Der acre
on lands that can be bought now, unim-
proved, at from IS to SO per acre. Thus
at $50 bushels per acre. sold at SO cents
per bushel, there would be a gross income