The Greeley tribune., 1912-01-18
IMPORT SPUDS
IN QUANTITIES

The recent announcement that
large quantities of potatoes are be-
ing imported into the United States
lends interest to statement pre-
pared by the bureau of statistics,
department of commerce and labor,
showing the imports and exports of
potatoes during a term of years.
While the production of potatoes
in the United States is usually suf-
ficient 10 meet the requirements of
it's population, there have been a
number of occasions following short
crops in the United States on which
considerable quantities were i'm
ported, On other occasions, when
there we're shortages abroad and
large crops in the United States,
considerable quantities were export
ed.
The total imports of potatoes into
the United States in the last ten
years aggregated 22,S45.634 bush
els, valued at s10,9S5,77O, or about
4S cents per bushel, this valuation
being based upon the wholesale
market price in the countries from
which imported, and does not, there
fore, include the cost of Transports
! tion Or duties paid, the rate Of dut!
being about 25 cents per bushel oi
! so pounds, both under the present
law and its immediate predecessor
! The exports of potatoes from the
United States during the same de-
cade amounted to 10,900,566 bush
els, valued at $S,413,675. an aver
age of II cents per bushel.
Potatoes imported into the Unit
ed states come chiefly from Canada,
Mexico and Bermuda in America,
and Scotland, England, Ireland,
Germany and France in Europe,
while in recent years small guam
titles have also been brought from
China, Australia and the Canary Is
lands.
The potatoes exported go chiefly
TO The West Indies. Central America
and Canada, the largest quantities
usually to Cuba, Canada and Pan
ANA and lesser quantities to other
Central American states and the
West Indian Islands. Small guam
titles have also been sent in recent
years to Cuba, Hong Kong, British
Guiana, the Philippine Islands,
french Oceania and certain of the
South American countries, but prac-
IlltIy Io T.ulOit a.
thOugh a large consumer of pota-
toes, is also large producer.
The worlds potato crop. so far
as it can be measured statistically.
runs between 5000, 100000 and
6,000,000,O00 bushels per annum,
but these figures do not include the
Induction of China, North Africa
and most of South America, the
0riginal home of the potato, which
was found under cultivation in
south America by the Snanish dis
ruverers and transplanted to Spain
and thence to other parts of Europe.
Germany is by far the largest sin
gle producer of POTATOES. her total
crop for 1909, the latest available
lures, being 1,716,000,0oO bush
els, against 1,173, 100000 in Euro
pean Russia, 613, 100000 in France,
4SO,00O,OOO in Austria. 1S4,OOO,O 900
in hungary, 1877 100000 in Great
Britain, 120. 100000 in Ireland, 99,-
600, 900 in Canada, and 100000
In he United States.
New York is the largest potato
Producing state in the United States.
her product in 1910 being 44,5oo,-
600 bushels, against 35.OOO.OO0 IN
Michigan, 2S.OOO,C00 in Maine. 2S,-
900, 900 in Pennsylvania, 25,Oo9.-
600 in Wisconsin, 100000 in
Ohio. 12,666,0OO in Illinois. 12,25o,-
900 in Iowa, and about 10000. 900
bushels each in Minnesota and New
Jersey, while practically all the re-
maining states are represented with
totals ranging from 100000 TO
100000 bushels each.
The largest importation of pota.
toes during the last decade occurred
in 1909, being S,333,OOO bushels;
the largest exports of the decade
in 1911, being 2,S33,ooo
bushels.