Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-02-08
BUYP0IAIOES ABROAD
Many Potatoes are Brought into the
U.S.. from Foreign Ports.
MfCHIGAh GREAT POTATO STATE
Facts Of Interest Pertaining TO this Import
ant Crop.

The recent announcement that
large quantities OF potatoes are being
imported into the United States lends
interest to statement prepared by
the bureau of statistics, department
of commerce and labor, showing the
imports and exports of potatoes dur
ing t rm of years. While the pro-
duction OF potatoes in the United
States is usually sufficient to meet
the requirements OF its population,
there have been a number of occa-
sions following short crops in the
United States when considerable
quantities were imported. On other
occasions, when there were shortages
abroad and large crops in the United
States, considerable quantities were
exported.
The total imports of potatoes into
the United States in the last 10 years
aggregated 22,s45,634 bushels. valued
at $1O,9s5,770 or about 4S cents a
bushel, this valuation being based on
the wholesale market price in the
countries from which imported and
does not therefore, include the cost
Of transportation or duties paid, the
rate Of duty being 25 cents bushel
of 60 pounds both under the present
law and its immediate predecessor.
The exports OF potatoes from the
United States during the same decade
amounted to 10,9OO,566 bushels, val
ued at SS413,675. an average OF ~
cents a bushel.
Potatoes imported TO United States,
Mexico and Bermuda, in America, and
Scotland. England, Ireland, Germany,
and France, in Europe, while in re-
cent years small quantities have also
been brought from China Australia,
and the Canary Islands. The pota-
toes exported go chiefly 10 the West
Indies, Central America and Canada,
the largest quantities usually to Gu
ba, Canada and Panama, and lesser
quantities % other Central American
Small quantities have, also been sent
in recent years to China, Hongkong,
Britis'l Guiana, the PHILIPPINE Islands,
French Oceania and certain of the
South American countries, but prac-
tically none to Europe, which, al
though a large consumer of potatoes,
is also a large producer.
The worlds potato crop so far as
it can be measured statistically, runs
between FIVE and six billion bushels
Pr annum, but these figures do not
inslude the production of China,
North Africa, and most OF South Am
erica, tfI original home of the pota-
TO, which was found under cultiva
tion in South America by the Spanish
discoverers and transplanted TO Spain
and thence to other parts OF Europv.
Germany is by far the largest single
producer of potatoes, her total crop
for 1909, the latest available figures,
being 1,716,oc0,0OO bushels, against l.
173,000,0OO in European Russia, 613,-
000, 1000 IN France, 4s0,000,000 in Aus
tria, $4,000, 900 in Hungary, 137,000,-
900 in Great Britain, 120,0oO,0 900 in,
Ireland, 9e,000,o00 in Canada, and 317,-
100000 in the United States.
New York is the largest potato
producing state in the United States,
her product in 1910 being 44,500,0o0
bushels against 35,00o,0oO in Michi-
gan, $4,000, 900 in Pennsylvania, 25,-
100000 in Wisconsin, 100000 in
Ohio, 12,s66,0oo in Illinois, 12,25o, 900
in Iowa and about 10000, 900 bushels
each in Minnesota and New Jersey,
while practically all the remaining
states are represented with totals
ranging from 100000 to 100000
bushels each.
The largest importation of potatoes
during the last decade occurred in
1909, being s,233,o00 bushels; the
largest exports OF the decade occurr-
ed in 1911, being 2,333,0O0. bushels.