The Republican journal., 1910-12-22
A Tilt at the Potato Question

n Ill dl lllS L OldlO SluCSllOIl
To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: 1t
seems strange to me that while the news
papers are so largely supported by the
farmers, that they so seldom contain any,
thing of Importance relating to the econo-
nv of the farm. We see columns devoted
to the market in relation to stocks and
bonds, which is largely of speculative
nature and of little or no interest to
farmers, while a dozen or twenty lines
will be devoted to the prices of agricul-
tural products, with no remarks thereon,
while the stock market will be elaborate
ly explained. But two or three of our
weekly papers give any space to articles
of special interest to agriculture, and
they have one or two pages each of such
matter. Now any of our weekly papers
can do this, for they all have access to
the bulletins, reports, and agricultural
press, and it would be very easy for
them to make up page, or at least half
a page each week, and it would be of far
greater interest than much of the pres
ent "filling" that is furnished US.
The Department of Agriculture fur
nishes to the press about the 10th Of each
month, beginning with May 10th, the
acreage; condition; comparison with
previous years; number of bushels, tons,
or barrels of each crop, and price per
unit in every State in the country. We
seldom ever see this mentioned in the
papers. There were about dozen lines
in relation to the November report, but
one could not form an intelligent opinion
from what was said, it was SO brief.
If we could have about a column each
month in relation to this subject, SO as to
give the public an intelligent idea of con-
ditions and prospects, SO that farmers
could keep in touch with conditions
throughout the season, they had much
rather have it than many of the scare
heads, divorce cases, prize fights and
"bouts" that so largely occupy the col
umns of the papers. One of the most
important crops that Maine farmers raise
is potatoes. In order to handle the crop
to get it marketed to advantage they
should be thoroughly posted on all the
conditions of the crop, and where can
they go for this but to the press? 1t is
the duty of the press to furnish this as
carefully and plainly and thoroughly as
possible, and if this is not done the press
is not doing its whole duty. Many of our
farmers and traders have asked me the
past two months in relation to the con-
ditions of the crop. If the press would
give us one-quarter the space for the
of this subject that it does
to the stock and bond market, in which
the farmers are almost entirely disinter-
ested, then they could act intelligently
and handle their crops satisfactorily.
Let us analyze the conditions of the
potato crop and the market for the past
five years and see if we can find any
basis for action this season. The average
price of potatoes paid to the farmers on
the first days of December for the five
years from 1905 to 1909 was almost 81
cents per bushel. The average crop for
that period has been almost 3O5, 0t0, 900
bushels, which with the average popula-
tion for that period means three and one
half bushels to each inhabitant. The
yield this year is about 1928, 1000, 600 BUSH
els, which with population now in
creased to 81, 100000, means but five and
bushels per capita, or almost
IDENTICAL with the average for the prev
GUS five years. Now when we take
INTO consideration the condition of bust
ness and the prices of other commodities
there is no reason why prices for pota-
toes should rule lower than for the last
i've years; surely not if the principle of
supply and demand has any influence,
and we all admit it has.
Now with these facts before them no
farmer need sell his crop for less than so
cents per bushel. In fact, he cannot af-
ford to. And there is no consumer SO
selfish that he would want any one to
cell his crop for less than reasonable
Existing conditions JUS
lily this, and all should work together to
BRING about the desired result. Farmers
should remember that there are 48, O0O,-
700 bushels less potatoes in the country
han there were last year, and if every
nan of them should hold his crop until
January LIST the price will be so cents
oushel. But if he keeps hauling them in
1t present prices the price will remain
ow all winter. But if he holds every
potato until they are so cents and then
markets them carefully as they are need
I'd he can be assured Of his price. If they
are rushed in "pell NELL" as they gener-
lily are without any regard to business
principles, then he must expect to suffer,
and need not look to any one for SYM
pathy. C. E. SMITH.