The Greeley tribune., 1909-03-24
POTATO MEN IN CONVENTION
SATURDAY MORN A4SG
DISCUSSION OF INTEREST
COMMITTEES Of Dealers and GF0Wess
Selected to Formulate Plan To-
wards Organising to Better
Conditions for Potato
Sorting, etc.

Some thirty or forty potato growers
and a half dozen commission men
gathered at the Commercial Cub
rooms Saturday and discussed At
length the proposition Of sorting and
grading. 1t was evident that fire.
quent meetings of this kind will re-
suit in much good, even though no
definite action could be decided upon
for the mutual interest of shipper
and grower.
1t was shown that few GnscrupH-
lous farmers could injure the repu-
tation of the whole district and some
of the so-called track-buyers who
pay five cent premium and ask no
questions as to quality are the sec
end greatest menace to the spud in
dustry of this country. 1t has come
to a point where the growers must
mbine, and where the dealers must
also have an understanding, or the
Greeley spuds will be drug upon the
market. After much argument
committee of two or three dealers
and half dozen farmers WAS picked
to formulate some plan towards an
The idea seems to be that the
growers themselves should maintain
an organization, set standard for
Iquality and sorting and appoint In
lspectors who would visit fields or
dugouts and prosecute the unscrupn-
lors who sold their spuds under false
lpretenses.
Only the other day local mer-
chant bought large quantity of
potatoes from a farmer and paid him
q top price for Rurals. When they
got to Denver it was discovered that
only a few on the top of the sack
were Rurals. and the balance pearls.
and very poor grade at that. The
farmer who sold those spuds could
be sent to jail for obtaining money
under false pretenses, but the COM
mission man does not care to take
such proceeding, as it would only
increase the prejudice already exist
ing between grower and merchant.
THE proper organization could pun
ish these people and Professor Ben
nett of the Agricultural college sug-
gested that every car of spuds which
jle1l Ine uiSlIlCl Shouiu oS iooS'S"
with the tag of the shipper and also
the grower. In this way the blame
could always be laid at the proper
door and the shipper would know
the growers who were not to be de-
pended upon All present agreed
that a 2-inch screen should be used
in the field and one and seve1-eighths
in the iugcut. and that this measure
ment should be "in the clear.
The Greeley district is the only
potato country in the Unietd States
where the sorting is done by tho
grower and it is also the only lar,e
district from which there is any COM
rlaint. In nearly every "ther dis
trict the merchant buys the potato d
4 in the bulk and grades them to suit
! himself.
A corporation of merchants with
no other object than to protect
certain trademark upon TIL. outside
of potato sack will do more to re-
gain and maintain the reputation of
the Greeley spud than any number
Iof inspectors who might re honest
if similar number were appointed
to watch tne'n.
However. the facilities for the
handling are not adequate at the
present time and the only remedy
seems to be in the effort to promote
honesty and closer sympathy be-
tween merchant and grower.