The new South-news., 1909-01-23
POTATO
RAISING.
Jan. 18th. 1909.

/
Through the columns Of your
paper am desirous Of calling the
attention OF every farmer In Jones
county, TO the facts now existing
with regard 10 the Irish potato stu.
alton. ] wish to emphasis. that at
no time In our pact history. has the
chance for large profits from the
growing OF single crop stared the
farm srs 50 squareIy In fhe face as in
the case at present with regard 10
tho potato crop. l wish TO sav that
| have statistics from the Depart
ment OF Agriculture at Washington.
giving yields per state, Dor acre and
average price per bushel. together
with the total yield OF tho United
States from the year 1868 to 1905
inclusive. a study Of these Fl izsires
viii convince anyone that 1t ia q
matter strictly of supply ani de-
'nand that fixes the price Of shis
staple crop. For example, a heavy
yield o. bumper crop carries with
ia correspondingly low pric in~a-
rlablv followed by several years
with small crops and good prices
Now since the above has been the
rule for the past four years. 1t would
seem 10 be a safe rule TO mark by.
30 according TO the plan figure by,
which mas been explainen above, |
can reach ma other conclusion than
that the Southern potato crop for
1909 will command . good price,
netting at least 90c per bushel ~
the grower. for, we have the follow
ing situation EXISTING. The crop
f,r the United States IN 1908 was
3os, OBS. 3s2 bushels. the. crop 19C7
was 2q7, 942, 600 bushels or Il, ,O96, 3,Q
boshels short of 1907, while tne
crop of 1908 was 27s. 9s5, 900 bushelsl
nnd therefore short of 1901 Il .qb7.-
600 bushels. IN ~
AT this point let me remind THE
readers that tho entire S1utherp
States. or TO bs more exnct, Virgin
Ia, North Carolina. South Carolina.
aeorRla. Florida, Tennessee, Ala
bams, Mississippi, Texas. Oklahp-
ma ~nd Arkansas. only produced d
2a.24o 900 bushels during 1905, or
absut l-l3 the entire crop Of the
United States, while Michigan a lone
produced s3. 400. 900 bushels or l,.1
oeo, 0Oo bushels more than the
twelve southern states. Hence YOU
can readily see that it is the potato
grown the previous year in the
East, North and West, that sets the
price for Southern stock the follow
ing year. Tofmther substa ntiat te the
correctness OF this theory. 1 offar
the experiences Of the year 1904 -05,
In 1904 the Souths crops command
ed a good price while the crop for
the United States. was the largest in |
our history, 1892. $50, 300 busnels. bu,
our crop was marketed before theb
east, north and west had gathered.
while the 1908 southern crop did
not pay expenses, although the crop
for the United States was - million
bushels short. in round numbers, of
the previous yesr, proving, 40 l say,
that the southern crop of 1905 went
up against the overw belming snv-
plus stored in the cellars at the |
North that was grown IN 1904.
SO. TO recaMtulate 1907 crop 10
09S. .3S? bushels short Of 1906, and
1905 crop 1926, 900 bushels short Of
1907. makipgR total shortage for
the two years Of 20 million buehels
in round numbers. Then again. we
AL know that during 1905. with q
panic CT, our poiato = eold for from
,1c 10 $50 per bushel net, with only
! Rhor tage Of 10 million hushei short.
age 80 with 29 million bushel
and no panic, stouldn't we
expct 90c per bushul
net for our 1909 ,rops say ngatn.
1es! l.
A potato crop planted any time
betwecn February Let and March lst
wtll mature in ample time to grow !
! crop OF corn, cottor, peas or sweet { !
potatoes on the same ground, and as
or the mArkcs, Il wi.lremain high
autil ths sure-enoueh-po'aso states :
,eetn AatAertns In fact, 4 aq>k for
Aiehrs: peicee between Juae lssh
lud july 18Th. whsn ths stoped po-
~