The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-06-01
palzss TO POTATO AAlsEAs,
Condition Of Annual White River Val
ley Contest Announced.

ing interest in northern and central
Vermont.
The sum of $40 in gold is being Of
fered in prizes to the most success,
full contestants by the White River
railroad through the initiative of C..
d. Parker & Co. Boston Bankers,
largely interested in the road. This
money is divided into four prizes, a
first of $40 for the best acre Of pota-
toes raised this year, a second OF $40
for the second best acre, third and
fourth prizes of So each for the third
and fourth best acres. In addition
to these prizes the railroad is offer
ing $40 in gold for the best yield of
apples from orchard of six trees and
a second prize of IS for the best
yield from an orchard OF the same
size. The town of Sherburne has
been added this year to the list of
places in which contestants raise
their crops so that the territory of
the prize district now includes Stock
bridge, Hancock, Granville, Roches-
ter, Pittsfeld, Gaysville and Sher-
burne.
Similar prizes were last year and
in 1910. stimulating great activity
among the farmers eligible as con-
testants, and arousing a widespread
interest among agriculturalists
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 railroad dis.
covered, upon investigation by ex-
perts. that the soil of the White Riv.
er Valley was very similar to that Of
Aroostook County, Me-, where far
mers have grown rich in the last few
years by raising an increasing acre
age of potatoes each year, Aroostook
Countys crop last year, at least ST.,
600, 900 in value, representing a gain
to the farmers of so per cent in one
year The railroad reported the re
suits of its investigation to the far
mers and induced competition in pc
tato cultivation by means of prizes
for the management felt that once ex
perience had proved the districts
possibilities to the farmers, the lat
| ter would not on their knowledge
and develop the region by growing
rich themselves.
From market, importation, and cen
| IL in GihIa
positively that potato raising il
New England, will return the grower
an unusually large single crop. From
recent investigation made by thu
Boston Herald it is shown that thu
retailers profit on potatoes averages
% per cent of their cost to him. tn,
| wholesaler makes IL per cent OF
the cost to him, but the farmer makes
q per cent on the actual cost of pro
ducing the potatoes Thus, the fal
mer not only gets the biggest incom
on his share of the money invested
in the business, but a larger percent
age return than is being made In a
most any other enterprise.
The reason for the farmers abilit,
to command such return is foun
/, in the fact that domestic demand S
, far exceeds domestic supply that it
now necessary to import potatoes
They are coming into New York nov
at the rate of $2,0OO,OO0 worth
month according to the Wall Stree
Journal These imported potatoes
on account of higher foreign produ,
! ton cost, the expense OF long carries
, and a protective tariff of 25 cents
, bushel, sell at high figure. But the
must be had, even at this high pric,
I and this means that the domesti
growers get the benefit of these hig
prices without the importation cost!
Hence the big profit to the America
, farmer.
The census figures tell why domei
2 tic supply does not equal domesti
demand. Forty years ago when SUI
. ply and demand more evenly balant
ed, only one-sixth of our populatio
lived in the cities. Today over on,
third of the American people are u
ban dwellers and in no part of III
country has the drift to the cities
been more marked than in New EN-
land. This means that the preser
E demand upon each farmer for hi
products is over twice as great as
was in 1870, and that the New EN-
: land farmer has an advantage ove
J, farmers elsewhere in that he is mel
j door to the markets where this d
mand is most acute. By employin
}, advanced agricultural methods whiC
mean labor saving and bigger yiel
}, per acre, there is no reason why We
mont farmers should not reap III
!, benefit of their position in the pre-
e ent economic situation and mal
$ themselves rich by growing potatoe
J. But there is one caution every ia
:. mer must observe or suffer loss
n consequence. and that is the prop,
d protection of the potato crop fro
Il the ravages of blight. This prote
a ton can be made perfect in effect,
n care is taken to spray the plants Ii
t orally with reliable bug destro
l. er, such as Paris Green. at the rigl
G time In the year which is when n
II first few eggs make their appearance
e on the leaves of the young plants.
8 large supply of the proper instrur
ents for this work and also for Il
n most effective cultivation of tn
r potato field such as the latest pillow
cultivators, etc, have been pTcha
8 ed at an expense of $500, by Il
] White River railroad which is ole
n ing them to the farmers in its co
test at a rental barely covering d
% probation charges.
D. Modern methods are worth folio
|. ing when It is remembered that Il
winner of this contest last year hl
d son who aided him with the kno
ledge gained at the State Agricultr
al College.
1 RoosEVELT'S NOTES SHOWN