The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-10

! 1t is estimated that the potatoes
raised within a radius of a few miles
but a side issue. will net the farmers
more than $4,000 profit. Farther
down the valley between here and
/ Kansas City, these figures are trebled
at nearly every shipping point.
The average yield this season has
been $50 bushels to the acre. This is
said to be an extremely conservative
estimate Some farmers have report
ed yields of only 100 to 1875 bushels to
the acre. but a far larger number re-
| port bumper crops of 200, and some
times of ESQ bushels to the acre. Dur
ing the shipping season, which is now
around $4,000 bushels Of potatoes
shipped out of Lawrence and this city
| is not in the same class with De Soto,
Wilder, Edwardsville and Loring as
shipping centers.
The price this summer has ranged
from 80 to 20 cents a bushel on the
local market for car lots. This is the
highest it has been at this time Of
year for many years and as a result the
farmers are reaping a golden harvest
Years back, when Lawrence was a
great potato center and potatoes were
shipped out of here by hundreds of
times dropped as low as Is cents a
bushel during the shipping season,
while 80 cents was a good average
price. For the past few years, how
the price has been going skyward I'M
til this summer the prosperous Kaw
valley farmer has been putting go to
20 cents in his jeans for every bushel
of potatoes he shipped.
The failure of the early potato crop
in California was given as a reason by
several wholesale dealers in Lawrence
today, when talking to reporter, for
the exceedingly high price this sum-
mer. All of them said that potatoes
a
that the price would never be as low
as it used to be. The demand for kaw
valley potatoes has been increasing
every year without any increase in the
number grown. The early crop of
California potatoes was an entire fall
ure this year and as a result whole
salers have been glad to get Kaw val
ley potatoes and to pay a good round
continue until about the middle of
September when the second California
crop will be ready for shipment and
will cause some decrease in the de-
mand. Following the California crop
the Colorado potatoes will be ready to
be put the market.
There are no great potato growers
close around here any more, but there
are lots of patches of from 20 to SO
acres which are bringing their owners
small fortunes. Some of the larger
growers around here are Eli Wilson,
Will and Clarence Pine. Steiner Bros.
and Herman and Albert knope- many
of them are making from SIS to $125
an acre clear from their potatoes.
Clyde Sisser. who lives near Lin
wood cleared something like $500
from a 90-acre patch. From this one
field he shipped thirty-two cars which
averaged around $50 bushels to the
car. In all he sold something more
than 1900 bushels at prices ranging
from 60 to 80 cents.
To raise potatoes costs about $25 an
acre. Taking out all the expense, his
profits are not far from $500 this
year.
In talking to a reporter today,
local potato dealer estimated the aver
age profit for an acre of potatoes at
from SIS to $3.50; estimating the cost
of raising them at SIS an acre. He
allowed $3.50 for cost of seed, $40 for
cost of digging and the remainder for
cultivating and shipping.
Today potatoes are bringing SIS cents
a bushel loose. or IS cents sacked. On
an average five to six cars a day are
being shipped out. During the ship
ping season probably $50 cars will be
shipped from here. Many times this
number will be shipped from the po-
tato centers farther down the valley.
Plow Deep for Oats.
w. ]. Holiday had a patch of oats
hi IT, 81