Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-15
The Years Immense Potato Crop.


The potato crop of 1906 was one OF
the biggest on record. 1t aggregated
S0S,03S,000 bushels, or 1922 bushels
per acre on 3,013.0OO acres. The farm
value was $157,S21,000. The increase
in the yield was 47,297,O00 bushels; in
the acreage, 1900, and in the yield
per acre, 1872 bushels, as compared with
1905.
The acreage last year was only 1000
less than the big area planted in 1904,
when the yield was 24,000.000 bushels
below that of 1905, and aggregated only
81 per acre. That the yield the past
year was above an average is shown by
the figures from the department of
agriculture giving it as 81 bushels per
acre for the past ten years. That the
largest crops are not always the most
profitable to growers is shown by a
comparison of farm values on Dec. l,
for the past three years. In 1906 the
farm value was $157,574.000, decrease
from 1905 of $3,174,000. This despite
the fact that the crop in 1905 was the
smaller by 47,297,000 bushels. Taking
the big crop of 1904, which was $780,
$4,000 bushels, the farm value was
$15O,67S, 900, or $6,967,0O0 under that
of 1906, showing that the farmer in
some respects gets less for an immense
crop than in. years when the yield is a
medium one, as the price ranges high
er under the latter conditions.
New York took the lead of the pota-
10 .tafo with Al $40 o1,c1 i.
els. or more than 100000 bushels in
excess of 1905. This state, with Penn
sylvania and New Jersey, raised &c.
0S1,90S bushels an increase of 1923 :
1875; yet this was not enough to supply
home requirements, and stocks are be-
ing bought in the west and shipped
into that territory. Maine is one of the
largest potato-raising states, having a
crop of 22,99S.0O0 bushels. or 100000
in excess of 1906 The New England
group OF states raised 34,S5S,702 BUSH
els, an increase of 5,203,126 as COM
pared with 1905.
The great commercial crop of the
country, whence the bulk of supplies
are drawn for the consuming centers,
comes IToill w loSouolA eAiA0
Minnesota These three states raised
62,963,944 bushels or 19,564,526 more
than the previous year. Michigan took
the lead with 27,o75,OOO bushels, in
creasing nearly 10000 Wisconsin
raised 23,765,000 bushels, increasing
100000 in round numbers and Min
nesota had 12,123,000 bushels, or 1,100,-
600 more for the year. The three CEN
tral-western states Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois, raised 3S,6O7,793 bushels, of
which Ohio had 17.277,920 bushels,
gaining 5,OOO and the net gain for the
three was 8,565,3SS bushels.
Taking the group of Iowa, Missouri,
Kansas and Nebraska, there was a
crop of 3452s,OO0 bushels, or $4,000
increase, Nebraska raising 7,354,000
bushels, 100000 less than in 1905.
The two Dakotas raised 6,O0s,s5s bush
els, gaining 227.340. The Pacific coast
states, with Idaho and Montana, grew
1S,97O,OO0 bushels, 1,928,000 less
than in 1905. The southern states, in
GLIDING all south of the Ohio river, also
those of the southwest and Texas.
raised 25,O69.745 bushels, a decrease Of
243,376. This means that there is to
be an outlet for the surplus in the
northwest and the southern trade Is
now buying freely in Wisconsin and
Michigan to replenish their supplies.