The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-06-03
POTATO PROFITS
IDAHO

y T TSf4A 81
The modest potato is not sufficient,
taken into account as a producer Q
4 profit for the man who tills the soil.
We hear about the romance o
Wheat, the Kingly rule of Corn, tn,
commercial dignity of Oats and Alfal
i ia, of Barley and Rye, and we coun
them as sources of great wealth fo
those who make the earth their serv
i ant
/ But, granting to the grains and for
ages the credit that is due, there are
/ wide stretches Of land in Idaho pro
ducing cash yields from potatoes tha
make the average grain production d
small
And there are SO many more acres
of the same kind, that have not yet
been given a chance to show what
they can do, that the money making
possibilities of Idaho so far as pota
toes alone are concerned, cannot be
estimated
Idaho won national publicity in 1910
as the result of the awarding of prizes
OF $500 and $3.50, given by Mr.. D. E
Burnley of Salt Lake City, Utah, for
| the best and second best yields OF
| potatoes produced on a single acre Of
! land In territory tributary to the Ore
gon Short Line, Pacific & idaho North
ern, Idaho Northern, Idaho Southern
and Payette Valley railroads. 4
The Oregon Short Line, together
with the affiliated lines mentioned
above, traverses the states Of Idaho,
Utah, Oregon, Washington, Montana
and Wyoming. SO it. will be readily
seen that the winning of prizes for
which there were competitors from SO
wide territory was an accomplish
ment of great Importance to the vic
torious state and of lasting credit to
the successful growers.
The results of this contest, partici-
pated In by SO many of the most pro-
gressive farmers in the prescribed dis
trict, were amazing, and the follow
Ing account of those results, with fig
ures showing what the returns signify
In the matter of profits from the land,
should prove interesting to everyone
concerned in agricultural affairs.
Through Mr. L. A. Snyder, the first
prize of $500 was won by Twin Falls.
county. Idaho, with the 'Dalmeny
Challenge" variety Of potatoes. The
second prize of $3.50 went to Canyon
county, Idaho, through Mr.. w. B. Gil
more, with the sPeachbloW" variety.
On his winning acre of Idaho land
Mr.. Snyder raised 645 bushels Of pota-
toes. weighing 1855 pounds. The
culls weighed 4,15O pounds, leaving
"a, 535 pounds of the finest marketable
potatoes, or about SIS bushels.
At 70 cents per 100 pounds, or AZ
cents per bushel, the price Mr.. Snyder
received, the one prize acre produced
in money, therefore, the sum Of
$241.74, besides the 4,15o pounds, or
almost 20 bushels in culls, which
were available for home use.
Mr.. Snyder has given to the Com
mercial Club of Twin Falls some fur
Their facts showing the possibilities of
potato raising in his section of the
country. He reports that from three
acres of land he harvested S95 sacks
of potatoes, averaging ITO pounds to
the sack. He sold 1900 bushels at AZ
cents per bushel, receiving $500, and
he had rs sacks left for seed.
An average gross profit of $40 per
acre, when we consider how much
smaller Is the average gross profit
from an acre of grain. gives the read
er a fair idea of what the intensive po-
tato farming opportunities of Idaho
really are.
Going a little more extensively into
figures, we may safely presume that
the average family of, say, five per-
sons consumes about five pounds of
potatoes per day. That ought to be a
liberal estimate pound Of potatoes
per day for each member Of the fam
lily, large or small
The $685. pounds of potatoes raised
by Mr.. Snyder on his prize acre Of I
Idaho land would, therefore, supply /
the potato needs OF more than % such
families for year. allowing each fam
lily 1,725 pounds, or 28A bushels.
1t is fair to say that a $40 gross
yield from an acre of wheat is a good
return. So we see that Mr.. Snyders
prize acre of potato land brought
forth as much money as would eight
acres of wheat land
If Mr.. Snyder were to realize from
ten acres Of his potato land as well as
he did from the three acres which gave
him $500, he would have $1,000 at the
end of the season, besides more than
enough spuds for his own use and for
he next seasons planting.
There's real money in Idaho pota-
.oes.
The combination that won the Bur-
ey prize, says Mr.. Snyder, was the
most productive soil in the West, eli
nate unexcelled, plenty Of water for
irrigation al all times, one of the best
5arieties of sppds, and man with
some experience and not afraid oil
work.
His words make clear the advan-
ages and possibilities of the Oregon I,
Short Line country. All of the farm
rs who entered the contest in which
Ir. Snyder carried off first honor