The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-11-19
IDEAL FOR POTATOES
High Grade Tubers Are Grown in
HouJhton County

The Houghton County Farm Blu
| reau last night gave out the following
digest of report made at the regular
the bureau. held at the Douglass
House:
The importance of the development
of the potato industry as inaugurated
by the Houghton County Farm Blu.
reau will be appreciated b. looking
over the reports from some of those
who started 40 raise the pure bred
variety of the Sir Walter Raleigh po~
tato which has been introduced into
the Copper Country by Leo NJ. Gels
mar. the Houghton County Agricul-
turist who improved the quality and
yield of this variety during eight years
of systematic selection while superin.
tendent of the Upper Peninsula Ex-
pertinent station.
About one quarter of those who
raised this variety for the first time
have sent in written reports which are
sufficiently complete TO permit II COM
pilation of accurate results.
W. va llltSt ObNdlntu Al ltli III ! { .
and 1877 bushels per acre respectively:
Is had had yield of 200 to 800 bush
les per acre: seven obtained a yield
of 800 To 400 bushels: nine had yield
of 400 to 500 bushels and one obtained
a yield Of SIC bushels per acre. Thir-
teen did not use any fertilizer. Their
average yield was 2S9 bushels per aero
and the cost of production was %
cents a bushel Fifteen applied stable
manure at an average rate of S1a tons
per acre. Their average yield was 3lS
bushels per acre and the cost of pro-
duction - cents bushel Twenty
four applied the stable manure at am
average rate of IL tons per acre. Their
average yield was 334 bushels per acre
and the cost Of production % cents a
bushel. Nine who applied the stable
manure at an average rate OF II tons
per acre had an average yield of $50
bushels per acre and the cost of pro-
duction was 81 cents bushel
The general average of all was BIB
bushels per acre and the cost of pro-
Gnction was % cents "A bushel The
labor cost was higher than the aver
age, because in practically every cas-"
the planting and digging of the pota-
toes was done by hand, and the cost Of
production was further enhanced by
charging one dollar "A bushel for the
seed potatoes, 50 ton for the stable
manure and So an acre as rent of the
land.
The :esults show that the climatic
and soil conditions of Houghton cuuu-
~ are almost perfect for the develop
-ment of high grade potatoes. and that
by teaching the value of pure bred
seed and promoting cooperation in
the growing of uniform market varie-
ties the average for Houghton county
can bc raised to BIS bushels per acre.
Since large Yields are frequently
claimed for other localities, especially
some ut the countries i'm Europe. the
following figures will be of interest:
The average yield of potatoes for a
period of 10 years 0l02-lglD was:
for the United States. - bushels per
acre: for Russia, l02 bushels; France.
Germany. 1874 bushels. and England.
202 bushels. In Maine where large
amounts of fertilizers are used. the
average is 1913 bushels per acre. The
average i'm Michigan is l05 bushels in
the lower peninsula 1913 bushels; In
the upper peninsula III bushel Is, and
in Houghton county l57 bushels per
acre. Raising Houghton county's
average to 3lS bushels. az has been
done by those who planted the pure
bred variety. means an additional
yield of 16l bushels per acre There
are over 1000 acres OF potatoes raised
in Houghton county, hence It means
an additional yield of over $4,000
bushels. To obtain this extra yield
costs practically nothing. yet at 50
cents bushcl, the present wholesale
price, 1t means an additional income
OF si60.000 ~ year and illustrates tho
value OF the Houyhton County Farm
Bureaus work when applied to an
otrer lines at agricultural devlup.
ment.
Anaheim, Cal, has been placed in