The Republican journal., 1908-12-31
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The Potato Situation.

Inc rotate SITUATION.
New York Brokerage Firm Gives Startling
Information.
A firm of potato brokers in New York
city has been making thorough investi-
cation of the potato situation of the east
and have embodied the result in letter
to- their correspondents in the country.
The New York Packer says that this firm
are purely brokers, have never owned a
dollars worth Of potatoes since they have
been in business and never have specu-
lated in anything that they handle, so that
their ideas of the potato situation, CLEANED
from an exhaustive investigation, should
trade of the East. In their letter they
say:
1--WE are inclined to think that potato
shippers generally throughout the coun-
try are ignorant of the actual situation
in the potato trade today and below we
give YOU some facts which are we'll worth
your attention.
According to the most reliable figures
we have been able to obtain the total
crop of potatoes in the State of Maine
this year was between Is, 900, 900 and 49,
600, 600 bushels. Up to the first of De-
cember the total shipments out Of Aroos-
took county amounted to about A, $50, 600
bushels and from other sections of the
State probably 100000, making total
shipments out Of the State up to Deem
Der about 100000 bushels. Since De-
cember up to date the shipments have
probably not been over half million
bushels at the outside, making the total
movement up to the present time in the
neighborhood of $500, 900 bushels, which
leaves in the farmers and shippers hands
somewhere between 9, 500, 900 and 10, $780,,
600 bushels yet to be shipped, or perhaps
the largest amount OF pototoes that has
ever been held in Maine at this time of
the year.
1.-The most reliable estimates of the
entire crop in western New York this
season were between rs and so per cent
of last year. Steuben county, which is
probably the largest shipper Of po-
tatoes of any county in the State, has
been free seller all the season and has
moved great many potatoes, but other
sections of the State, especially along
the lines of the New York Central and
the West Shore road, have moved com
paratively few, as the farmers have been
reluctant sellers and believed in higher
prices right along. Quite a good many
points in the State have most of the crop
vet on hand and we estimate that there
will be as many potatoes left in New
York State on the first of January as
there were at the same time last year.
early reports of the Michigan crop
indicated a very small yield in that
State, but when the crop was finally har-
vested it was found that nearly all sec
tons except the extreme northern points
had much better yield than was antici-
pated and the quality generally was good,
the only fault being the stock averaged
smaller than usual. Reports we have
gotten from Michigan in the last two or
three days, which we consider reliable,
show that only about so per cent OF the
crop has been moved up to the 10th OF
this month and that Michigan will have
almost as many potatoes on hand on the
first of January as at the same time last
year.
''All reports on the foreign crop were to
the effect that there was the largest crop
of potatoes abroad this year that has
ever been known. Large contracts for
shipment to this market were made early
in the fall for November, December and
January delivery at price ranging from
81. 70 to 81. 95 for 16S-pounds bags, deliv-
cred in New York, duty paid, and con
tracts have been placed within the last
two or three weeks for this month and
january shipment at considerably less
than S. Only very few of these potatoes
which are coming in here have cost as
much as 81 We have been having liberal
receipts of foreigns here for the past
three or four weeks. There were AZ, 0oo
bags in here last week and the estimated
receipts for this week are $4,000 bags,
and from what we can learn the ship
ments of foreigns will continue to come
in here for at least six weeks to come on
the same basis of cost, as contracts have
been made for shipments to cover that
time.
eve believe the above figures and facts
represent the true situation, and as the
disposition at loading stations in Name,
Michigan and New York state, especial
ly among the farmers, seems to be to
hold for higher prices, our sole object IN
sinding you this letter is to show you that
the situation not only does not warrant
higher prices, but would justify much
lower values in the next sixty days"
GUILTY OF COUNTERFEITING.