The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-20
POTATO GRIP STATISTICS
Preliminary Statement of Thirteenth
 Census Results.

Statistics relative to the potato crop of the United States, collected at the | thirteenth decennial census, April 15, l 1910, are contained in an official state | ment issued by Director Durand, of | the bureau of the census, department | of commerce and labor. It. is based | on tabular summaries prepared under the direction of pr. Le Grand Powers, ] chief statistician for agriculture In the 1 bureau of the census.
 | The statistics presented cover acre. | age, production. and va.ue for the crop
 year 1909, as compared with 1899. In ] making comparisons between the two
 censuses the data for acreage are the
 most significant, as changes in the area planted to given crop are due 1 largely to broad economic tendencies which are fairly well indicated by re- 1 turns of one year out of ten. The
 production, however, huctuates from year to year in accordance with cur | rent conditions of rainfall, tempera- l ture, etc, so that comparison be- | tween one decennial year and another
 may not show the. true general fluctu- l ations in production also affect current
 prices and consequently the aggregate value of the crop for any given year. i Of course there are broad tendencies
 with respect to average yield per acre and with respect to values In addition | to such temporary fluctuations, but | these broad tendencies are not always fully indicated by decennial statistics. General Summary for the United States.
 The land in potatoes increased from | 2, ,930, ,0OO acres in 1899 to 3,699, ,0O0 acres | in 1909, an increase of 730,00 acres, or crease in production was much higher, the actual production in 1909 amount | ing to 389, 195, ,000 bushels, as compared with 273, ,318,00 bushes in 1899, an in crease of 115, ,S77,000 bushels, or 42.4 per cent. The average production per acre, perhaps in part by reason of tempo rary weather conditions, increased from 93 bushels to 106.1 bushels. Along with the increase in acreage and pro- duction went an even larger relative increase in the value of the potato crop, which increased from $98, ,380, 900 to s166, ,424, ,000, an increase of over $6S.- GOO, GOO, or 69.2 per cent. The average value of potatoes per bushel thus in creased from e6 cents to 43 cents or about 19 per cent.
 The land in potatoes increased from | 2,6O1, ,00O acres in 1889 to 2.939, 900 acres in 1899 and s,Ss9.O GOO acres in 1909 The acreage in 1909 was thus about Al per cent. greater than in 1889. The production of potatoes in 1879 was 169, ,459, 900 bushes, as compared with 9S9, l90,UUU DuSHGlS III I5US. The 1u- crease in the 30 years was thus nearly 12O per cent. Population during the same period increased about 30 per cent. This is the only important food crop which has increased faster than population.
 Distribution of Acreage, by Divisions. Potatoes are raised extensively fn all sections of the country. Of the total of 3,66S,855 acres in potatoes in | f6A
 East North Central and West North Central divisions contained over Fl per cent; 1,106.0S2 acres, or nearly one third of the total, lying in the East North Central division; 7S3,S1S acres, Or 21.4 per cent. in the West North Central; and 72ss2s acres, or 1s.s per cent. in the Middle Atlantic. The South Atlantic and the two South Gen. tral divisions together contained 477,- 064 acres-abOut One-eighth of the to- tai; the Mountain and Pacific divisions SS9,52s acres-not quite one-tenth of the tota'; and the New England divis- ion 3SS.095 acres. Potatoes are a much more important crop in the northern states than in the southern, where their place is partly supplied by sweet potatoes.
 Increase in Acreage of Potatoes.
 Increase in acreage of potatoes are noted in all the geographic divisions.
 
 in the two North Central divisions, the eastern sectior showing an in- crease of 14S,SS9 acres, or 15.5 per cent. and the western section an increase of 146.629 acres or 2S per cent A large Increase in acreage Is to be noted in Minnesota. The Mountain and Pacific divisions added to their land in po- tatoes by S9,452 acres and 72,59S acres respectively, during the decade, the increase in the Mountain division amounting to Ills per cent. and that in the Pacific division to 7a.6 per cent In the South Atlantic division there was an increase of S2,SS1 acres, or 52.2 per cent. In both the New England and Middle Atlantic divisions the land in potatoes increased over 5o.00O acres Decreases in the acreage were found in all the New England states ex- cept Maine. where the acreage showed a large increase from 1899 to l9Oa- 4.0Si acres. or So.2 per cent. The two South Central divisions together ad- ded 14,sSS acres or 551 per cent. to their land Gn potatoes during the de- cade.
 Distribution of Production, by Divis-
 The distribution of the production of potatoes among the different divis- ions corresponds roughly of course, to the distribution of acreage. In the New England, Mountain. and Pacific divisions, however, the yield per acre in 1909 was much higher than in ths