Omaha daily bee., 1912-09-06
AND HIS NAME IS GRUBB, TOO
He Has Studied the Spud for Years
and Knows it Thoroughly.
HE USES EUROPEAN FIGURES
Farmers of Nebraska Are Not Care
full with Seed Selection.
AMERICANS ARE EXTRAvAGANT
Plenty of Fertiliser, Deep Tillage
and the Right Sort of Potatoes
for Seed Are Secrets of
Potato Raising.

/
expert on the subject of the potato, who
has spent twenty-five years in the study
Of that vegetable, has just been secured
by the Union Pacific railroad as spe-
eial agent to be employed to investigate
potato cosditions along the Union Pa
cific and the Oregon Short Line. His
study will be devoted to the potato
states of Nebraska, wyoming. Idaho and
1 Colorado.
w. s. Guilford of a book Just published,
entitled THE Potato" He has gone into
the subject exhaustively. having gath
cred statitics from every available source
in the world. He shows that for Ameri-
can consumption we require 50OCo,0o0
bushels more than we are annually pro,
duclng He points out that we are fifty
years behind Europeass in the methods
employed in the production Of potatoes.
Good potato growers In Europe, he says,
produce 375 to 200 bushels per acre. Some
of the best growers in the irrigated sec.
tions Of the west are producing 800 to
soc bushels per acre. But those who are
doing this, he says are scarce as 2:1O
trotters and Mr.. Grubb says he knows
how scarce these are as ne tried to raise
one once
Not Careful Enough.
The author further points out that one
of the principal troubles with the potato
raising of Nebraska is that we have
never been careful enough in the selec,
tios of seed. 1.-THE Americans" he says,
have long been in the habit of planting
only those potatoes that they could not
eat, the culls and screenings Of the CROP
and this has led to the gradual deteriora,
ton Of the potato in this country What
will have to be done, says the author, is
to plant separate plots for seed potatoes
In, these plots SHOULD be planted the very
finest of the potatoes that scould hezass.
iected and the fisest Of this crop should
again be used for the seed plot of next
year. This, he says. is the method prac.
t.ced in Europe and II has made their
potato superior to ours Plenty of fer
tilizer, deep tillage and the right sort of
potatoes for seed, he says, are the Sc.
crets of potato raising Attention to
these simple essentials has esabled the
European grower to produce three times
| the yield that Americans are producing.
And all this is true in the face of the
fact that our soil and climatic conditions
are much more favorable than those in
Ehrope
The Fod value.
Quoting DR.. J. II. Kellogg Of Battle
Creek, Mich, the author gives figures
in regard to the food value of the potato.
The food equivalent in total food value
to onepound of baked potatoes according
to this table SIS ounces ounces boiled beef,
pound Of chicken; ~ pounds of cod fish
~ pints of oysters (solids): ~ pints of
beef juice; 10 pints of bullion or beef tea
1h pints whole milk; pints of SKINNED |
milk; eggs; pounds cooked beets;
poundspounds boiled cabbage; pounds |
radishes; pounds tomatoes; pounds |
SOVhCo luAlpSB We pOusadp
From these figures 1t is pointed out that
the potato is one of the most nourishing
Of our common foods. Steamed or mashed
potatoes II is pointed out will digest In
two or three hours whereas roast beef
requires -four to five hours or double the |
time.
MeaIy spud Preferred.
In discussing the cooking of the potato, |
in one Of the chapters, Mrs. e. H. Grubb. |
wife of the author says: There are
many varieties of potatoes and tastes
differ as to choice. In America and Great !
Britain the white fleshed, nealy varieties |
are preferred. In continental countries |
many yellow fleshed varieties are in great
favor, such potatoes being especially VAL
liable for soups, ragouts, salads, and !
hash, as they are Of waxy texture, and
retain their shape better when cooked
than those Of mealy texture. The yellow
ffleshed potato is said to contain more
protein in proportion to the starch COM
tents that white fleshed and is therefore
richer in flavor The potato is a food rish |
IN St2ICn WlCH SupRhCc NAO DCNJ "iSb
fuel for keeping up warmth, and provides
It with energy necessary for muscular
activity
The author gives some figures on the
cost of producing crop OF potatoes. In
the Twin Falls country In southern
Idaho, he says the yield Of potatoes is
from 100 to 100 bushels per acre. The
cost of producing 15O-bushel crop is
estimated at sA If potatoes are worth
30 cents per bushel, he points out, this
crop would be worth SIS. leaving profit
Of 5000 per acre not reducing rent or
interest or taxes.
II, however, the grower produces q
The Net Profit.
AO0- -bushel crop the cost of producing
would be $95.75. The crop selling at 50
cents per bushel would bring $780, leay-
ing net Of s24S.
The author holds that these large and
profitable crops can be raised IL the
grower will only apply himself selecting
proper seed, good ground and give them
the popeI care He says there is no need
of being among the class that raises the
average crop, for the average" crop
Ia not what we are after. THE average
horse, the average COW, the average. po-
tatoe or the average man are not what
we are aiming at In this world says
average. or we are no good In the world"