The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1910-12-02
IL.


Mr.. Joseph Plaistead, an official
of the Oregon Short Line Railway
company in an address delivered
before the board of governors of the
League of Commercial clubs. of the
Snake river valley held at Idaho
Falls on Saturday evening, Noyem-
Der 18th, made the statement that
four-fifths of the potatoes handled
by the rail road he represented were
produced in the upper Snake river
valley, Idaho, and in an area which
extended very little south of Black
foot and no further north than Lor-
EMO. in all a territory about thirty
miles in length. and six to eight
miles in width; and of course only
part of this is potato producing or
planted to potatoes.
The statement is very significant
when it is taken into consideration
that potato shipping is one of the
imp rtant items of the shipping over
that road and one which they have
expended thousands of dollars to be
able to handle. The upper Snake
river valley potato. the best on the
market today, is not so well known
owing to the lack of association on
the part of the growers as the
potato produced in other and more
advertised sections of the country
rs Greeley Colorado. for instance
As a result the Idaho potato is
OFTEN placed on the market as a
Greeley product, whereas if the
Idaho producer took as much pains
in exploiting his product as he
does in producing he would get a
better value.
Something Of an idea Of the great
amount OF this product shipped
from this section may be gained
from the fact that two years ago
from the Idaho Falls district alone
five thousand car loads of potatoes /
We're shipped to the coast, and /
southern centers of population, with /
some shipments to the middle west
and some as far east as Boston
and New York. In fact so super
Tor is the product that one pro-
Queer located in the valley has a
contract with two of the world fam
Gus hotels of New York city to fur
nish for them the year through all
the potatoes which are served on
their tables For these they pay a
fancy price as the potato sent them
have been bred up by intelligent Gull
nyation to very superior quality
and are hand sorted and picked so
that only the best which the world
affords are sent them
The potato produced in the irri-
gated section of the upper Snake /
river valley Idaho, is very super ,
fr,v- I
intelligent method of cultivation
and a very careful selection of
seed of the best variety. Putting
the water on them at just the right
time and just the right amount.
with the peculiar character of the
soil, has resulted in a potato which
can not be excelled for quality or
quantity produced. In former years
the potato grower rather went into
size of the potato rather than
quality and some records were brok
en- in this respect, monsters being
produced which were a subject OF
wonder and comment. The overly
large potato, however, is not a SUI
perlor table product, is not so
good shipper or seller as the
smaller and more Uniform size
aimed.
Under the present system Of mar
Ieting all potatoes are passed over
screen or sOrter and only the best 3
md uniform are put on the market
nd the culls, bad potatoes, under
lied and generally unmarkeJable
re fed to hogs where a good profit
S realized on what would ordinary
e waste. Eventually starch
actOries viii be established in the
alley which will provide a further HI
market for all but the strictly fancy on
hipping potato. "a
The dry farm potato or the potato or
reduced on the benches and up ca
aads and without irrigation is an ~
xcelent marketable potato and nr
ONE claim really a better product
ian the potato produced IN the val "
" by irrigation, though the dry
lrm potato has not been produce g,
numerically to any extent and rails FL.
! only by the homesteader for on
lmily consumption and for sale on ~
lie local market. ne
The potato yield in this section me
lder discussion is almost beyo ~
,lief to the initiated who unless Al,
ey see at first hand are inclined
be skeptical when an upper Snake en-
yer valler potato story is told but ~
investigation into the matter viii e.
nYince any fair minded man that - -
: sst.e=ries ted are true GO s,,1
With the exception of orchards,
tatoes are the greatest revenue
1ducer in the valley and will yield
-.