Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-06-12
Potato Contest Again Interests Farmers
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raise their crops so that the territory
of the prize district now includes
Stockbridge, Hancock, Granville,
Rochester, Pittsfeld, Gaysville and
Sherburne.
Similar prizes were offered last
year and in 1910, stimulating great
activity among the farmers eligible as
contestants. and aroused a widespread
interest among agrlculturallsts
throughout the state. This respon-
siveness has caused the White River
railroad to hold the contest again this
year, for the eagerness shown by the
competing farmers indicates that
these contests are of real value IN
calling the farmers attention to the
productive possibilities of Vermont's
soil.
Three years ago the rsilroad dis
covered, upon investigation by ex-
perts. that the soil of the White River
Valley was very similar to that of
Aroostook County, Me-. where farm
ers have grown rich in the last few
years by raising an increasing acreage
of potatoes each year. at least S7,O00.-
900 in value representing a gain to
the farmers Of 50 per cent IN one
year. The railroad reported the
| results u y oeAOA
farmers and induced competition IN
potato cultivation by means of prizes.
for the management felt that once
experience had proved the districts
possibilities to the farmers. the latter
would act on their knowledge and
develop the region by growing rich
themselves.
From market, importation, and
I census reports it is now possible to
state positively that potato raising
in the United States, and particularly
in New England. will return the
grower an unusually large and
E assured profit, perhaps bigger than
can be secured from any other single
+ crop. From a recent investigation
made by the Boston Herald 1t Is
shown hat the retailers proht or
+ p~otatoes averages % per cent of their
v cost to him. the wholesaler makes
l. 81 per cent on the cost to aim, bu'
Il the farmer makes 270 per cent or
the actual cost of producing the pota
toes. Thus. the farmer not only get:
, the biggest income on his share of tn
money invested in the business. but
larger percentage return h a IS beln}
: made in almost any other enterprise
The reason for the farmers ahlllt.
to command such a return is found II
e. the fact that domestic demand SO ia
tIe exceeds domestic supply that it rs nov
necessary to import potatoes The,
n are coming into New York now at tn
3s rate of 81, 600, 600 worth g mont
according to the Wall Street journal
Id These imported potatoes, on accoun
ne of higher foreign production cost
by the expense of long carries. an
IS a protective tariff of 2 cents a bushe
q - 49, lob E0,,~o R1t fhnE INNS
be had, even at this high price, an
to this means that the domestic grower
I'd get the benefit of these high price
nd without the importation costs. Henc
he the big profit to the America
we farmer.
aid The census figures tell why dome
tic supply does not equal domest
r demand. Forty years ago Whe
- supply and demand more evenly ba
anced, only ore-sixth of our popul
ton lived in the cities. Today ov'
one third of the American people a
no. urban jewellers and in no part OF ti
- country has the drift to the cities
> been more marked than IN Ne
England. This means that the pre-
ent demand upon each farmer Tor n
ms products is over twice as great as
"a was in 1870, and that the New Er
lana farmer HAS all u
+o farmers elsewhere in that he IS ne
IN door to the markets where THIS G
mand is most acute. BY employ.
'no advanced agricultural methods, Will
II mean labor saving and a olgg
"a WELD per acre, there is no reason W
1o Vermont farmers should not reap
hh benefit of their position in the prese
economic situation and make the
no, No, selves rich by growing potatoes.
IeU But there is one caution every tar
ar err must observe or suffer loss IN &C
aaosoo onJ +ho+ ia tho oronar n,
LII lection of the potato crop from {
ravages of blight. This protectl
can be made perfect in effect. II CO
by is taken to spray the plants llbera
with a reliable "bug destroy err, ST.
. as Paris Green. at the right time
the year which is when the hrst I
eggs make their appearance on
leaves of the young plants. A lai
:. supply Of the proper instruments
this work and also for the most enc
i've cultivation Of the potato field 81
ore as the latest plows. cultlvators, Ell
and have been purchased at an expense
,o+ $500 by the White River rallrt
which is offering them to the farm
III in its contest at a rental barely Gov
or ing depreciation charges.
,wn Modern methods are worth follow
when it is remembered that the "
u W ner of this contest last year had a
lust who aided him with the knowle'
gained at the state agrlcultu
college.